2000
#20,041
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,238
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.46
Rare Last name
Botero
A Spanish surname derived from the word "botero", meaning a maker or seller of wine casks.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,064 Americans carry the last name Botero. That puts it at #15,624 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.60 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 166,063 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Botero surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
2.1K
1 in 166,063
Census rank
#15,624
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,800 bearers of the surname Botero in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.60 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15624th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Botero, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 89.9%. The next largest groups are White (8.9%) and Black (0.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Botero
The surname Botero has its origins in Spain and can be traced back to the 15th century. It is believed to have derived from the Spanish word "botero," which means a maker or seller of leather bottles or wineskins. The name likely originated in regions where leather crafting and winemaking were common occupations.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Botero can be found in the 16th-century Spanish text "Relación de las Islas Filipinas" by Pedro Chirino, where a certain Juan Botero is mentioned as a participant in the Spanish colonization of the Philippines.
In the 17th century, the name appears in various historical records, including the archives of the Archivo General de Indias in Seville, Spain, which document the activities of Spanish settlers in the Americas.
During the 18th century, the Botero surname gained prominence in Colombia, where several notable individuals bore this name. One such figure was José María Botero Salazar (1733-1811), a Colombian independence leader and statesman who played a crucial role in the country's struggle for independence from Spain.
Another prominent individual with the Botero surname was Fernando Botero (1932-present), a renowned Colombian figurative artist and sculptor known for his depictions of exaggerated and voluptuous figures. His work has been exhibited in major museums worldwide and has earned him international acclaim.
In the 19th century, the Botero name appeared in historical records related to the Mexican-American War, with several individuals bearing this surname serving in the Mexican army during that conflict.
Other notable individuals with the Botero surname include Gilberto Botero Mejía (1932-2010), a Colombian politician and journalist who served as the Minister of Defense of Colombia; and Juan Carlos Botero (born 1984), a Colombian professional cyclist who has competed in various prestigious cycling events, including the Tour de France.
Overall, the surname Botero has a rich history spanning several centuries and has been associated with notable individuals from various fields, particularly in Spain, Colombia, and other Spanish-speaking regions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Botero
Among Census respondents with the surname Botero, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 89.9%. The next largest groups are White (8.9%) and Black (0.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Botero bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Botero surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino89.9% · 1,619
- White8.9% · 161
- Black or African American0.3% · 6
- Two or more races0.3% · 6
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Botero
Botero appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#17,229
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,644
+406 bearers (+32.8%)
Per 100,000 0.56
Rank movement Up 2,812 places
2020
#15,624
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,800
+156 bearers (+9.5%)
Per 100,000 0.60
Rank movement Up 1,605 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #20,041 | 1,238 | 0.46 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #17,229 | 1,644 | 0.56 | +406 bearers (+32.8%) | Up 2,812 places |
| 2020 | #15,624 | 1,800 | 0.60 | +156 bearers (+9.5%) | Up 1,605 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Botero surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #17,229 | #15,624 | 9.3% |
| Count | 1,644 | 1,800 | 9.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.56 | 0.60 | 7.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Botero bearers went from 1,644 to 1,800 (+9.5% change). The surname moved up 1,605 positions in the national ranking, going from #17,229 to #15,624.
FAQ
Botero surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Botero?
Name Census estimates that about 2,064 living Americans carry the surname Botero. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 166,063 residents.
How common is Botero?
Botero ranks #15,624 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.60 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,800 people with the surname Botero. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,064), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.6 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.60 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Botero.
Has Botero become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Botero went from 1,644 recorded bearers to 1,800. That is an increase of 156 (+9.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #17,229 to #15,624.
What does the Census say about the background of Botero?
Among Census respondents with the surname Botero, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 89.9%. The next largest groups are White (8.9%) and Black (0.3%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Botero in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.9% (1,619 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Botero appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (89.9%), White (8.9%), Black (0.3%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Botero (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Botero mean?
A Spanish surname derived from the word "botero", meaning a maker or seller of wine casks. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Botero (0.60 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the last name Botero?
If you just want to know how many people are called Botero, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.