Find out how popular the last name Calderón is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Calderón.

Calderón, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Calderón surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Calderón in America

Calderón is the 421st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Calderón surname appeared 77,085 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 26 people would have the surname Calderón.

We can also compare 2010 data for Calderón to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Calderón

The surname Calderon has its origins in Spain and dates back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Spanish word "calderon," which means a large kettle or cauldron. The name was likely originally an occupational surname, given to someone who worked as a coppersmith or metalworker, crafting such cauldrons or kettles.

The earliest recorded instances of the Calderon surname can be traced back to the 13th century in regions like Castile and Andalusia. It was particularly prevalent in areas with a strong metalworking tradition, such as Seville and Toledo. The name may have also been associated with certain place names, like Calderón de la Barca, a municipality in the province of Soria.

One of the most notable historical figures with the Calderon surname was Pedro Calderón de la Barca (1600-1681), a celebrated Spanish poet, playwright, and writer of the Spanish Golden Age. His works, such as "Life is a Dream" and "The Constant Prince," are considered masterpieces of Spanish literature.

Another prominent Calderon was Rodrigo Calderón (1576-1621), a Spanish nobleman and the powerful favorite of King Philip III. However, his influence and wealth led to his downfall, and he was eventually executed for conspiracy and treason.

In the realm of art, the Spanish painter Antonio Calderón (1663-1726) was known for his religious and mythological works, many of which adorned churches and palaces in Spain during the Baroque period.

The Calderon surname also found its way to the Americas during the Spanish colonization. One example is José de Calderon (1637-1678), a Spanish explorer and conquistador who helped establish settlements in present-day Ecuador and Colombia.

Lastly, the Mexican painter and muralist José Clemente Orozco Calderón (1883-1949) was a prominent figure in the Mexican Renaissance, known for his powerful and socially critical murals depicting the struggles of the Mexican people.

These are just a few notable examples of individuals who have borne the Calderon surname throughout history, a name with deep roots in the metalworking traditions and cultural heritage of Spain.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Calderón

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Calderón.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Calderón was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Calderón has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Calderón was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Calderón, please contact us.

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!