2000
#14,604
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,869
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.69
Rare Last name
Calero
A Spanish habitational surname derived from any of the several places named Calero, meaning "lime kiln" or "limestone quarry."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,164 Americans carry the last name Calero. That puts it at #11,008 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.92 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 108,329 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Calero 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
3.2K
1 in 108,329
Census rank
#11,008
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,759 bearers of the surname Calero in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.92 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11008th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Calero, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 91.4%. The next largest groups are White (6.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Calero
The surname Calero originated in Spain during the medieval period, deriving from the Spanish word "calera," which referred to a lime kiln or lime pit. This connection suggests that the name may have initially been an occupational surname for someone who worked with lime, either in its production or utilization in construction.
Historically, the surname Calero can be traced back to various regions of Spain, particularly Andalusia, where it was more prevalent. The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in historical documents from the 13th and 14th centuries, often associated with individuals involved in the building trades or related industries.
One notable historical reference to the name Calero comes from the 16th century, when a Spanish explorer and conquistador named Francisco Calero participated in the conquest of the Philippines. Born in Seville in the late 15th century, Calero accompanied the expedition of Miguel López de Legazpi and played a significant role in the establishment of Spanish settlements in the archipelago.
In the realm of literature, the surname Calero appears in the works of Spanish playwright and poet Lope de Vega, who lived from 1562 to 1635. One of his plays, "El Caballero de Olmedo," features a character named Calero, possibly a reference to the occupation or origin of the name.
Another noteworthy figure bearing the surname Calero was Andrés Calero, a 16th-century Spanish physician and botanist. Born in Extremadura in 1510, Calero authored several works on medicinal plants and their uses, contributing to the development of pharmacology and botanical knowledge during the Renaissance period.
In the realm of art, Juan Calero, a Spanish painter active in the late 16th and early 17th centuries, gained recognition for his religious works and portraits. Born in Seville around 1580, Calero's paintings can be found in various churches and museums throughout Spain, showcasing his mastery of the Baroque style.
Moving forward in history, the surname Calero continued to be represented in various fields. For instance, José Calero Quesada, a Spanish historian and archaeologist born in 1924, made significant contributions to the study of ancient Iberian cultures and their artifacts, shedding light on the region's rich cultural heritage.
While the surname Calero has its roots in Spain, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly Latin American countries, due to Spanish colonization and migration. However, the historical origins and connections to the lime industry and related occupations remain deeply embedded in the name's etymology.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Calero
Among Census respondents with the surname Calero, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 91.4%. The next largest groups are White (6.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Calero 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 Calero surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino91.4% · 2,522
- White6.6% · 182
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.2% · 33
- Black or African American0.5% · 15
- Two or more races0.2% · 6
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Calero
Calero 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
#12,649
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,446
+577 bearers (+30.9%)
Per 100,000 0.83
Rank movement Up 1,955 places
2020
#11,008
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,759
+313 bearers (+12.8%)
Per 100,000 0.92
Rank movement Up 1,641 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,604 | 1,869 | 0.69 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,649 | 2,446 | 0.83 | +577 bearers (+30.9%) | Up 1,955 places |
| 2020 | #11,008 | 2,759 | 0.92 | +313 bearers (+12.8%) | Up 1,641 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 Calero 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 | #12,649 | #11,008 | 13.0% |
| Count | 2,446 | 2,759 | 12.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.83 | 0.92 | 11.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Calero bearers went from 2,446 to 2,759 (+12.8% change). The surname moved up 1,641 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,649 to #11,008.
FAQ
Calero surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Calero?
Name Census estimates that about 3,164 living Americans carry the surname Calero. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 108,329 residents.
How common is Calero?
Calero ranks #11,008 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.92 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 2,759 people with the surname Calero. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,164), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.92 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.92 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 Calero.
Has Calero become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Calero went from 2,446 recorded bearers to 2,759. That is an increase of 313 (+12.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #12,649 to #11,008.
What does the Census say about the background of Calero?
Among Census respondents with the surname Calero, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 91.4%. The next largest groups are White (6.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.2%). 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 Calero in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.4% (2,522 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Calero appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (91.4%), White (6.6%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.2%). 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 Calero (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 Calero mean?
A Spanish habitational surname derived from any of the several places named Calero, meaning "lime kiln" or "limestone quarry." 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 Calero (0.92 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 Americans have the surname Calero?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.