2000
#4,587
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,085
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.63
Uncommon Last name
Cedillo
A Spanish habitational surname referring to someone from any of several places called Cedillo, derived from "cedillo" meaning "little cedar."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 11,870 Americans carry the last name Cedillo. That puts it at #3,379 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.46 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 28,876 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cedillo 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
12K
1 in 28,876
Census rank
#3,379
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
10K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 10,351 bearers of the surname Cedillo in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.46 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3379th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cedillo, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 95.5%. The next largest groups are White (3.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cedillo
The surname Cedillo has its origins in Spain, tracing back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Spanish word "cedilla," which refers to a diacritic mark resembling a small comma or tilde beneath the letter "c." This diacritic was used to indicate a different pronunciation, typically a soft "c" sound.
The name Cedillo likely originated as a nickname or a descriptive term for someone associated with the use or teaching of the cedilla mark. It may have been applied to scribes, writers, or scholars who were proficient in the use of the cedilla in written documents or manuscripts.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Cedillo can be found in the Galician region of Spain, where it was mentioned in a document from the 14th century. The name was also present in other parts of Spain, such as Andalusia and Castile, during the medieval period.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Cedillo. One of the most prominent was Saturnino Cedillo (1892-1939), a Mexican military officer and leader of the Cedillista movement during the Mexican Revolution. He played a significant role in the civil conflicts of the 1930s and was eventually assassinated in 1939.
Another noteworthy bearer of the Cedillo surname was José Cedillo (1868-1939), a Spanish painter known for his landscapes and genre scenes. He was born in Madrid and had a successful career, exhibiting his works in various exhibitions throughout Spain and Europe.
In the realm of literature, Ciro Alegría Cedillo (1909-1967) was a Peruvian novelist and essayist. His most famous work, "El mundo es ancho y ajeno" (The Broad and Alien World), published in 1941, explored the harsh realities of indigenous communities in Peru and earned him international recognition.
During the 19th century, Ramón Cedillo (1816-1886) was a prominent Mexican politician and lawyer. He served as a member of the Mexican Congress and held various governmental positions, including Governor of the State of Puebla.
In the field of music, José Cedillo (1930-2018) was a renowned Spanish flamenco guitarist. Born in Seville, he was a respected figure in the flamenco community and performed extensively throughout Spain and internationally, leaving a lasting impact on the genre.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals who have carried the surname Cedillo throughout history, highlighting its Spanish origins and its presence across various regions and disciplines.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cedillo
Among Census respondents with the surname Cedillo, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 95.5%. The next largest groups are White (3.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Cedillo 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 Cedillo surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino95.5% · 9,886
- White3.4% · 351
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 40
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 29
- Two or more races0.3% · 27
- Black or African American0.2% · 18
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cedillo
Cedillo 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
#3,392
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,538
+3,453 bearers (+48.7%)
Per 100,000 3.57
Rank movement Up 1,195 places
2020
#3,379
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,351
-187 bearers (-1.8%)
Per 100,000 3.46
Rank movement Up 13 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,587 | 7,085 | 2.63 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,392 | 10,538 | 3.57 | +3,453 bearers (+48.7%) | Up 1,195 places |
| 2020 | #3,379 | 10,351 | 3.46 | -187 bearers (-1.8%) | Up 13 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 Cedillo 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 | #3,392 | #3,379 | 0.4% |
| Count | 10,538 | 10,351 | -1.8% |
| Per 100K | 3.57 | 3.46 | -3.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cedillo bearers went from 10,538 to 10,351 (-1.8% change). The surname moved up 13 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,392 to #3,379.
FAQ
Cedillo surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cedillo?
Name Census estimates that about 11,870 living Americans carry the surname Cedillo. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 28,876 residents.
How common is Cedillo?
Cedillo ranks #3,379 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.46 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 10,351 people with the surname Cedillo. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (11,870), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.46 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.46 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Cedillo.
Has Cedillo become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cedillo went from 10,538 recorded bearers to 10,351. That is a decrease of 187 (-1.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #3,392 to #3,379.
What does the Census say about the background of Cedillo?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cedillo, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 95.5%. The next largest groups are White (3.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.4%). 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 Cedillo in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.5% (9,886 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cedillo appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (95.5%), White (3.4%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.4%). 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 Cedillo (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 Cedillo mean?
A Spanish habitational surname referring to someone from any of several places called Cedillo, derived from "cedillo" meaning "little cedar." 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 Cedillo (3.46 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 share the surname Cedillo?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.