2000
#2,275
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 14,635
First available Census row
Per 100,000 5.43
Uncommon Last name
Casas
A toponymic surname of Spanish origin referring to a person who lived in or near houses or huts.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 21,561 Americans carry the last name Casas. That puts it at #1,874 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 6.29 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 15,897 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Casas 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
22K
1 in 15,897
Census rank
#1,874
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
6.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
19K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 18,802 bearers of the surname Casas in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 6.29 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1874th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Casas, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 92.0%. The next largest groups are White (5.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Casas
The surname Casas is of Spanish origin, derived from the word "casa," which means "house" in Spanish. It is believed to have originated during the Middle Ages in Spain, specifically in the regions of Andalusia and Castile.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Casas can be found in the 13th century, when it appeared in various medieval documents and records from the Kingdom of Aragon. The surname was often used to identify individuals who lived in a particular house or estate or were associated with a notable residence.
During the 15th and 16th centuries, the surname Casas gained prominence as Spain expanded its territories and influence through exploration and colonization. Several historical figures with the surname Casas emerged during this period, including Bartolomé de las Casas (1484-1566), a Spanish Dominican friar and historian known for his advocacy for the rights of indigenous peoples in the Americas.
Another notable individual with the surname Casas was Juan de las Casas (1498-1558), a Spanish conquistador who accompanied Hernán Cortés in the conquest of Mexico. He later served as the governor of Chiapas, a state in southern Mexico.
In the 17th century, the surname Casas was carried to various parts of the Spanish Empire, including the Americas and the Philippines. One prominent figure from this era was Cristóbal de las Casas (1598-1672), a Spanish Jesuit missionary and linguist who worked extensively with indigenous communities in Mexico.
As the Spanish Empire expanded, the surname Casas spread to other regions, including the Caribbean and South America. In the 18th century, José María de las Casas (1743-1802), a Spanish military officer and colonial administrator, served as the governor of Cuba from 1790 to 1796.
The surname Casas has also been associated with various place names throughout Spain and its former territories. For example, the town of Casas de Don Pedro in the province of Badajoz, Spain, is believed to have derived its name from a historical figure with the surname Casas.
Over the centuries, the surname Casas has had various spellings and variations, such as Casas, De las Casas, and Las Casas. Despite these variations, the surname has maintained its connection to the concept of a house or residence, reflecting its origins in medieval Spain.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Casas
Among Census respondents with the surname Casas, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 92.0%. The next largest groups are White (5.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Casas 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 Casas surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino92.0% · 17,299
- White5.8% · 1,084
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.5% · 286
- Two or more races0.3% · 57
- Black or African American0.2% · 39
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 37
Timeline
Historical Census data for Casas
Casas 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
#1,813
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 19,777
+5,142 bearers (+35.1%)
Per 100,000 6.70
Rank movement Up 462 places
2020
#1,874
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 18,802
-975 bearers (-4.9%)
Per 100,000 6.29
Rank movement Down 61 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,275 | 14,635 | 5.43 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,813 | 19,777 | 6.70 | +5,142 bearers (+35.1%) | Up 462 places |
| 2020 | #1,874 | 18,802 | 6.29 | -975 bearers (-4.9%) | Down 61 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 Casas 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 | #1,813 | #1,874 | -3.4% |
| Count | 19,777 | 18,802 | -4.9% |
| Per 100K | 6.70 | 6.29 | -6.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Casas bearers went from 19,777 to 18,802 (-4.9% change). The surname moved down 61 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,813 to #1,874.
FAQ
Casas surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Casas?
Name Census estimates that about 21,561 living Americans carry the surname Casas. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 15,897 residents.
How common is Casas?
Casas ranks #1,874 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 6.29 per 100,000 residents, which is about 6 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 18,802 people with the surname Casas. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (21,561), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 6.29 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 6.29 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 6 of them to have the surname Casas.
Has Casas become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Casas went from 19,777 recorded bearers to 18,802. That is a decrease of 975 (-4.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,813 to #1,874.
What does the Census say about the background of Casas?
Among Census respondents with the surname Casas, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 92.0%. The next largest groups are White (5.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.5%). 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 Casas in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.0% (17,299 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Casas appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (92.0%), White (5.8%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.5%). 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 Casas (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 Casas mean?
A toponymic surname of Spanish origin referring to a person who lived in or near houses or huts. 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 Casas (6.29 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 Casas?
If you just want to know how many Americans have the surname Casas, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.