2000
#2,861
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,531
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.27
Uncommon Last name
Cazares
A Spanish surname derived from the place name Cáceres, which refers to a city in western Spain.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 17,944 Americans carry the last name Cazares. That puts it at #2,265 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 5.24 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 19,101 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cazares 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
18K
1 in 19,101
Census rank
#2,265
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
5.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
16K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 15,648 bearers of the surname Cazares in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 5.24 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2265th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cazares, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 95.7%. The next largest groups are White (3.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cazares
The surname Cazares has its origins in Spain, dating back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have been derived from the Spanish word "cazador," which means "hunter" or "huntsman." The name likely originated in the regions of Castile and Aragon, where many families took on surnames related to occupations or professions.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Cazares surname can be found in the "Libro de Repartimiento de Sevilla," a document from the 13th century that recorded the distribution of lands and properties in Seville after the Christian conquest. This suggests that individuals bearing the Cazares name may have participated in the Reconquista, the centuries-long struggle to reclaim the Iberian Peninsula from the Moors.
During the 15th and 16th centuries, the Cazares name appeared in various historical records and manuscripts, particularly in areas such as Andalusia and Extremadura. Some notable individuals from this period include Juan Cazares, a nobleman and military commander who fought in the conquest of Granada in the late 15th century, and Rodrigo Cazares, a renowned explorer who accompanied Hernán Cortés on his expeditions to Mexico in the early 16th century.
As the Spanish Empire expanded, the Cazares surname spread across the Americas, with many families settling in regions such as Mexico, Peru, and Argentina. In Mexico, the Cazares family established themselves as prominent landowners and ranchers, particularly in the northern states of Chihuahua and Sonora.
One of the most famous individuals with the Cazares surname was Manuel Cazares, a Mexican military leader who played a significant role in the Mexican War of Independence against Spain in the early 19th century. He was born in 1786 and fought alongside notable figures like Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla and José María Morelos.
Another notable figure was Emilio Cazares, a Mexican writer and poet who was born in 1869 and was known for his contributions to the literary movement known as "Modernismo." His works often explored themes of nature, love, and the human condition.
In the 20th century, the Cazares surname continued to be prominent in various fields. For example, Enrique Cazares was a Mexican architect and urban planner who played a key role in the development of Mexico City's infrastructure and modern design. He was born in 1917 and his notable works include the design of the Estadio Azteca, one of the largest stadiums in the world.
The Cazares surname has a rich history that can be traced back to medieval Spain and the Reconquista era. It has been carried by notable individuals in various fields, from military leaders and explorers to writers, poets, and architects, and has left an indelible mark on the cultural and historical landscapes of Spain, Mexico, and beyond.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cazares
Among Census respondents with the surname Cazares, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 95.7%. The next largest groups are White (3.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Cazares 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 Cazares surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino95.7% · 14,982
- White3.3% · 512
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 46
- Black or African American0.3% · 43
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 33
- Two or more races0.2% · 32
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cazares
Cazares 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
#2,254
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 16,134
+4,603 bearers (+39.9%)
Per 100,000 5.47
Rank movement Up 607 places
2020
#2,265
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 15,648
-486 bearers (-3.0%)
Per 100,000 5.24
Rank movement Down 11 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,861 | 11,531 | 4.27 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,254 | 16,134 | 5.47 | +4,603 bearers (+39.9%) | Up 607 places |
| 2020 | #2,265 | 15,648 | 5.24 | -486 bearers (-3.0%) | Down 11 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 Cazares 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 | #2,254 | #2,265 | -0.5% |
| Count | 16,134 | 15,648 | -3.0% |
| Per 100K | 5.47 | 5.24 | -4.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cazares bearers went from 16,134 to 15,648 (-3.0% change). The surname moved down 11 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,254 to #2,265.
FAQ
Cazares surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cazares?
Name Census estimates that about 17,944 living Americans carry the surname Cazares. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 19,101 residents.
How common is Cazares?
Cazares ranks #2,265 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 5.24 per 100,000 residents, which is about 5 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 15,648 people with the surname Cazares. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (17,944), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 5.24 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 5.24 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 5 of them to have the surname Cazares.
Has Cazares become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cazares went from 16,134 recorded bearers to 15,648. That is a decrease of 486 (-3.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,254 to #2,265.
What does the Census say about the background of Cazares?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cazares, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 95.7%. The next largest groups are White (3.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.3%). 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 Cazares in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.7% (14,982 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cazares appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (95.7%), White (3.3%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.3%). 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 Cazares (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 Cazares mean?
A Spanish surname derived from the place name Cáceres, which refers to a city in western Spain. 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 Cazares (5.24 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 common is the surname Cazares?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many Americans have the surname Cazares at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.