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

Cardoza, 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 Cardoza surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Cardoza in America

Cardoza is the 2812th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Cardoza surname appeared 12,824 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname Cardoza.

We can also compare 2010 data for Cardoza 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 Cardoza

The surname Cardoza has its origins in the Iberian Peninsula, specifically in Portugal and Spain. It is derived from the Portuguese and Spanish term "cardozo," which means "thistle" or "thorny plant." This suggests that the name may have initially been given to someone who lived near or worked with thistles or thorny plants.

During the medieval period, the name Cardoza appeared in various documents and records across the Iberian Peninsula. One notable example is the mention of a certain Rodrigo Cardoza in a 14th-century charter from the city of Lisbon, Portugal.

As the centuries passed, the name Cardoza spread beyond the Iberian Peninsula, particularly to regions with strong Portuguese and Spanish influence, such as the Americas and parts of Asia. In Brazil, for instance, the name can be traced back to the 16th century, when Portuguese settlers began arriving in the country.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Cardoza was Juan Cardoza, a Spanish explorer who participated in the conquest of Mexico alongside Hernán Cortés in the early 16th century. Another notable figure was Gaspar Cardoza de Acosta, a Portuguese merchant and diplomat who lived in the 17th century and played a crucial role in establishing trade relations between Portugal and Japan.

In the 18th century, a prominent member of the Cardoza family was Father António Cardoza, a Portuguese Catholic priest and scholar who made significant contributions to the study of Portuguese literature and history. His extensive writings and publications shed light on various aspects of Portuguese culture and tradition.

Moving into the 19th century, one of the most renowned individuals with the surname Cardoza was Isaac Nunes Cardoza, a prominent Jewish-Portuguese merchant and philanthropist who lived in England. He was instrumental in establishing the Bevis Marks Synagogue in London, which remains an important center of Jewish life and worship to this day.

Throughout history, the name Cardoza has been associated with various fields, including exploration, commerce, religion, and academia. While its origins can be traced back to the Iberian Peninsula, the name has since spread across multiple continents, reflecting the global reach and influence of Portuguese and Spanish culture and heritage.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Cardoza

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

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 Cardoza 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 Cardoza 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 Cardoza was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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