2000
#1,365
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 23,806
First available Census row
Per 100,000 8.82
Uncommon Last name
Cardona
A habitational surname referring to someone from any of the various places named Cardona in Spain and Italy.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 39,529 Americans carry the last name Cardona. That puts it at #995 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 11.53 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 8,671 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cardona 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Cardona with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
40K
1 in 8,671
Census rank
#995
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
11.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
34K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 34,471 bearers of the surname Cardona in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 11.53 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 995th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cardona, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 91.4%. The next largest groups are White (6.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cardona
The surname Cardona originated in the Catalonia region of Spain during the medieval period. It is derived from the Catalan place name Cardona, which comes from the Latin "Cara tona," meaning "dear town" or "beloved town." Cardona was an important fortified town and the name of a powerful noble family in the region.
The earliest recorded examples of the Cardona surname date back to the 11th century. In 1035, a nobleman named Ramon Folch de Cardona was mentioned in a document related to the County of Barcelona. The Cardona family played a significant role in the history of Catalonia and Spain, with several members holding influential positions and titles.
One notable figure was Juan Ramón Folch de Cardona (1446-1513), a Spanish nobleman and military commander who fought in the Reconquista and the Italian Wars. He served as Viceroy of Aragon and played a crucial role in the conquest of Granada in 1492.
Another prominent individual with the Cardona surname was Ramón de Cardona (1467-1522), a Spanish military commander and diplomat. He served as Viceroy of Naples and led the Spanish forces during the Italian Wars, earning a reputation as a skilled strategist and leader.
In the 16th century, the Cardona family established ties with the Spanish monarchy. Alonso de Aragón y Cardona (1553-1611) was a Spanish nobleman and military leader who served as Viceroy of Valencia and a member of the Council of State under Philip III of Spain.
The Cardona surname also spread beyond Spain to other parts of Europe and the Americas through migration and conquest. One notable figure was Antonio de Cardona y Borja (1617-1688), a Spanish military officer and governor of Galicia who later served as Viceroy of Navarre.
These are just a few examples of the historical significance and prominence of the Cardona surname, which has its roots in the Catalonia region of Spain and has been carried by notable figures throughout history, including military leaders, nobles, and statesmen.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cardona
Among Census respondents with the surname Cardona, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 91.4%. The next largest groups are White (6.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Cardona 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 Cardona surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino91.4% · 31,500
- White6.5% · 2,226
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 356
- Black or African American0.5% · 177
- Two or more races0.4% · 151
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 61
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cardona
Cardona 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
#1,071
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 32,727
+8,921 bearers (+37.5%)
Per 100,000 11.09
Rank movement Up 294 places
2020
#995
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 34,471
+1,744 bearers (+5.3%)
Per 100,000 11.53
Rank movement Up 76 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,365 | 23,806 | 8.82 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,071 | 32,727 | 11.09 | +8,921 bearers (+37.5%) | Up 294 places |
| 2020 | #995 | 34,471 | 11.53 | +1,744 bearers (+5.3%) | Up 76 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 Cardona 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 | #1,071 | #995 | 7.1% |
| Count | 32,727 | 34,471 | 5.3% |
| Per 100K | 11.09 | 11.53 | 4.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cardona bearers went from 32,727 to 34,471 (+5.3% change). The surname moved up 76 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,071 to #995.
FAQ
Cardona surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cardona?
Name Census estimates that about 39,529 living Americans carry the surname Cardona. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 8,671 residents.
How common is Cardona?
Cardona ranks #995 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 11.53 per 100,000 residents, which is about 12 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 34,471 people with the surname Cardona. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (39,529), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 11.53 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 11.53 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 12 of them to have the surname Cardona.
Has Cardona become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cardona went from 32,727 recorded bearers to 34,471. That is an increase of 1,744 (+5.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #1,071 to #995.
What does the Census say about the background of Cardona?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cardona, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 91.4%. The next largest groups are White (6.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%). 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 Cardona in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.4% (31,500 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cardona appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (91.4%), White (6.5%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%). 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 Cardona (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 Cardona mean?
A habitational surname referring to someone from any of the various places named Cardona in Spain and Italy. 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 Cardona (11.53 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 surname Cardona?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.