2000
#12,324
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,314
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.86
Rare Last name
Cendejas
A Spanish surname derived from the word "ceniza," meaning "ash," likely referring to an ancestor who worked with ashes.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,846 Americans carry the last name Cendejas. That puts it at #9,313 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.12 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 89,120 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cendejas 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
3.8K
1 in 89,120
Census rank
#9,313
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,354 bearers of the surname Cendejas in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.12 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9313th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cendejas, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 96.5%. The next largest groups are White (2.9%) and Black (0.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cendejas
The surname CENDEJAS has its origins in Spain, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Spanish word "cendal," which referred to a fine, transparent silk fabric. This suggests that the name may have been associated with individuals involved in the textile trade or silk production.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname CENDEJAS can be found in the Becerro de Behetrías, a medieval census document compiled in the 14th century during the reign of King Pedro I of Castile. This document listed individuals and their respective properties, indicating the presence of bearers of this surname in various regions of Spain.
During the 15th century, the name CENDEJAS appeared in several historical records, including land registries and municipal documents from the regions of Castile and Aragon. Some notable individuals from this period include Juan CENDEJAS, a landowner in the town of Burgos, and María CENDEJAS, who was mentioned in a legal document from the city of Zaragoza in 1487.
As Spain expanded its territories through exploration and colonization, the surname CENDEJAS spread to various parts of the Spanish Empire. In the 16th century, records show individuals bearing this surname in the viceroyalties of New Spain (present-day Mexico) and Peru. One prominent figure was Pedro CENDEJAS, a conquistador who accompanied Hernán Cortés during the conquest of Mexico in the early 1500s.
In the 17th century, the CENDEJAS surname gained recognition through the works of Francisco CENDEJAS, a renowned Spanish playwright and poet. Born in Madrid in 1612, his literary contributions included several comedies and verses that were widely acclaimed during the Golden Age of Spanish literature.
Another notable figure was Juana CENDEJAS, a nun and mystic who lived in the late 17th century. Born in Seville in 1657, she gained recognition for her spiritual writings and was highly regarded within religious circles of her time.
Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, the CENDEJAS surname continued to be present across various regions of Spain and its former colonies. Historical records from this period mention individuals such as Ignacio CENDEJAS, a prominent landowner in the province of Andalusia, and Mariana CENDEJAS, a renowned painter from Mexico City who gained acclaim for her religious artwork in the early 1800s.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cendejas
Among Census respondents with the surname Cendejas, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 96.5%. The next largest groups are White (2.9%) and Black (0.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Cendejas 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 Cendejas surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino96.5% · 3,237
- White2.9% · 97
- Black or African American0.4% · 12
- Two or more races0.2% · 7
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cendejas
Cendejas 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
#9,590
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,390
+1,076 bearers (+46.5%)
Per 100,000 1.15
Rank movement Up 2,734 places
2020
#9,313
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,354
-36 bearers (-1.1%)
Per 100,000 1.12
Rank movement Up 277 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,324 | 2,314 | 0.86 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,590 | 3,390 | 1.15 | +1,076 bearers (+46.5%) | Up 2,734 places |
| 2020 | #9,313 | 3,354 | 1.12 | -36 bearers (-1.1%) | Up 277 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 Cendejas 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 | #9,590 | #9,313 | 2.9% |
| Count | 3,390 | 3,354 | -1.1% |
| Per 100K | 1.15 | 1.12 | -2.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cendejas bearers went from 3,390 to 3,354 (-1.1% change). The surname moved up 277 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,590 to #9,313.
FAQ
Cendejas surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cendejas?
Name Census estimates that about 3,846 living Americans carry the surname Cendejas. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 89,120 residents.
How common is Cendejas?
Cendejas ranks #9,313 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.12 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,354 people with the surname Cendejas. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,846), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.12 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.12 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Cendejas.
Has Cendejas become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cendejas went from 3,390 recorded bearers to 3,354. That is a decrease of 36 (-1.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #9,590 to #9,313.
What does the Census say about the background of Cendejas?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cendejas, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 96.5%. The next largest groups are White (2.9%) and Black (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 Cendejas in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.5% (3,237 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cendejas appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (96.5%), White (2.9%), Black (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 Cendejas (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 Cendejas mean?
A Spanish surname derived from the word "ceniza," meaning "ash," likely referring to an ancestor who worked with ashes. 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 Cendejas (1.12 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 Cendejas?
For a quick modern take, check how many people are called Cendejas on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.