2000
#2,505
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 13,215
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.90
Uncommon Last name
Cerda
A Spanish surname derived from the word "cerda," meaning "bristle" or "coarse hair," likely referring to a hairy or bearded ancestor.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 19,379 Americans carry the last name Cerda. That puts it at #2,082 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 5.65 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 17,687 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cerda 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
19K
1 in 17,687
Census rank
#2,082
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
5.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
17K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 16,899 bearers of the surname Cerda in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 5.65 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2082nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cerda, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 93.8%. The next largest groups are White (5.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cerda
The surname Cerda has its origins in Spain, dating back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Spanish word "cerda," which means "bristle" or "coarse hair," likely referring to a person's physical appearance or occupation.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Cerda can be found in the 13th century, when it was associated with the noble Castilian family of Lara, who held significant power and influence during the reign of King Alfonso X. The House of Cerda, a cadet branch of the Lara family, played a crucial role in the political and military affairs of the kingdom.
The name Cerda is also linked to several place names in Spain, such as Cerda, a municipality in the province of Valladolid, and Cerdanyola del Vallès, a town near Barcelona. These place names may have influenced the surname or vice versa, as it was common for people to adopt surnames based on their place of origin or residence.
In the 14th century, the name Cerda gained prominence with Juan Núñez de Lara y Cerda (1313-1347), a powerful nobleman and military leader who served as the Lord of Lara and Vizcaya. He played a significant role in the War of the Two Peters, a conflict between Pedro I of Castile and Pedro IV of Aragon.
Another notable figure bearing the Cerda surname was Tomás Cerda y Aranda (1630-1692), a Spanish theologian and Bishop of Cádiz and Algeciras. He was known for his contributions to Catholic theology and his involvement in the Spanish Inquisition.
In the 18th century, José Cerda y Rico (1756-1828) was a prominent Spanish naval officer and explorer. He participated in several expeditions to the Pacific Ocean and contributed to the mapping and exploration of the American Northwest Coast.
During the 19th century, the Cerda surname gained literary significance with the Spanish writer and philosopher Ildefonso Cerdà y Sunyer (1815-1876), known as the father of modern urbanism. He was the pioneer of the concept of urban planning and designed the Eixample district in Barcelona, a model for urban expansion.
The surname Cerda has also been associated with figures in art and culture, such as the Cuban painter Leopoldo Romañach Cerda (1862-1951), renowned for his landscapes and portraiture, and the Spanish film director Rodrigo Cortés Cerda (born 1973), known for his thriller films.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cerda
Among Census respondents with the surname Cerda, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 93.8%. The next largest groups are White (5.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Cerda 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 Cerda surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino93.8% · 15,849
- White5.0% · 842
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 71
- Two or more races0.3% · 48
- Black or African American0.3% · 47
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 42
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cerda
Cerda 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
#2,035
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 17,703
+4,488 bearers (+34.0%)
Per 100,000 6.00
Rank movement Up 470 places
2020
#2,082
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 16,899
-804 bearers (-4.5%)
Per 100,000 5.65
Rank movement Down 47 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,505 | 13,215 | 4.90 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,035 | 17,703 | 6.00 | +4,488 bearers (+34.0%) | Up 470 places |
| 2020 | #2,082 | 16,899 | 5.65 | -804 bearers (-4.5%) | Down 47 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 Cerda 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 | #2,035 | #2,082 | -2.3% |
| Count | 17,703 | 16,899 | -4.5% |
| Per 100K | 6.00 | 5.65 | -5.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cerda bearers went from 17,703 to 16,899 (-4.5% change). The surname moved down 47 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,035 to #2,082.
FAQ
Cerda surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cerda?
Name Census estimates that about 19,379 living Americans carry the surname Cerda. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 17,687 residents.
How common is Cerda?
Cerda ranks #2,082 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 5.65 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 16,899 people with the surname Cerda. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (19,379), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 5.65 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 5.65 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 Cerda.
Has Cerda become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cerda went from 17,703 recorded bearers to 16,899. That is a decrease of 804 (-4.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,035 to #2,082.
What does the Census say about the background of Cerda?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cerda, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 93.8%. The next largest groups are White (5.0%) 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 Cerda in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.8% (15,849 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cerda appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (93.8%), White (5.0%), 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 Cerda (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 Cerda mean?
A Spanish surname derived from the word "cerda," meaning "bristle" or "coarse hair," likely referring to a hairy or bearded ancestor. 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 Cerda (5.65 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 Cerda?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many Americans have the surname Cerda at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.