2000
#22,973
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,040
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.39
Rare Last name
Cerritos
A Spanish surname derived from the plural of "cerrito" meaning small hills or little heights.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,068 Americans carry the last name Cerritos. That puts it at #15,602 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.60 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 165,742 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cerritos 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
2.1K
1 in 165,742
Census rank
#15,602
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,803 bearers of the surname Cerritos in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.60 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15602nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cerritos, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 94.7%. The next largest groups are White (4.1%) and Black (0.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cerritos
The surname Cerritos originated in Spain during the medieval period. It is derived from the Spanish word "cerrito," which means "little hill" or "small mound." The name likely referred to a person who lived near or owned a small hill or mound.
This surname has its roots in the mountainous regions of central and northern Spain, particularly in areas such as Castile and Leon, where the terrain is characterized by rolling hills and small elevations. The earliest recorded instances of the name Cerritos can be traced back to the 13th and 14th centuries in various Spanish documents and records.
One of the earliest known individuals with this surname was Pedro Cerritos, a nobleman who lived in the region of Castile in the late 13th century. His name appears in several historical documents related to land grants and property transactions during that time period.
In the 15th century, the name Cerritos was also found in the records of the Reconquista, the centuries-long campaign to reclaim the Iberian Peninsula from Moorish rule. Juan Cerritos, a soldier from Aragon, was mentioned in chronicles for his valor in battles against the Moors during the reign of King Ferdinand II of Aragon and Queen Isabella I of Castile.
As the Spanish colonized the Americas in the 16th and 17th centuries, the surname Cerritos spread across the Spanish territories. One notable figure was Diego Cerritos, a Spanish explorer and conquistador who participated in the conquest of Peru under Francisco Pizarro in the 1530s.
In the late 18th century, a prominent individual named Mariana Cerritos gained recognition as a influential writer and poet in Madrid. Her works, which often explored themes of nature and the beauty of the Spanish countryside, were widely acclaimed during her lifetime.
Throughout history, the name Cerritos has maintained its connection to geographic features and the natural landscape, reflecting its origins as a descriptive surname referring to small hills or mounds. While not as widespread as some other Spanish surnames, it has left its mark across various regions and historical periods.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cerritos
Among Census respondents with the surname Cerritos, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 94.7%. The next largest groups are White (4.1%) and Black (0.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Cerritos 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 Cerritos surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino94.7% · 1,707
- White4.1% · 74
- Black or African American0.7% · 12
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 5
- Two or more races0.3% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cerritos
Cerritos 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
#16,876
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,689
+649 bearers (+62.4%)
Per 100,000 0.57
Rank movement Up 6,097 places
2020
#15,602
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,803
+114 bearers (+6.7%)
Per 100,000 0.60
Rank movement Up 1,274 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #22,973 | 1,040 | 0.39 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #16,876 | 1,689 | 0.57 | +649 bearers (+62.4%) | Up 6,097 places |
| 2020 | #15,602 | 1,803 | 0.60 | +114 bearers (+6.7%) | Up 1,274 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 Cerritos 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 | #16,876 | #15,602 | 7.5% |
| Count | 1,689 | 1,803 | 6.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.57 | 0.60 | 5.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cerritos bearers went from 1,689 to 1,803 (+6.7% change). The surname moved up 1,274 positions in the national ranking, going from #16,876 to #15,602.
FAQ
Cerritos surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cerritos?
Name Census estimates that about 2,068 living Americans carry the surname Cerritos. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 165,742 residents.
How common is Cerritos?
Cerritos ranks #15,602 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.60 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 1,803 people with the surname Cerritos. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,068), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.6 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.60 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 Cerritos.
Has Cerritos become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cerritos went from 1,689 recorded bearers to 1,803. That is an increase of 114 (+6.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #16,876 to #15,602.
What does the Census say about the background of Cerritos?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cerritos, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 94.7%. The next largest groups are White (4.1%) and Black (0.7%). 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 Cerritos in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.7% (1,707 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cerritos appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (94.7%), White (4.1%), Black (0.7%). 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 Cerritos (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 Cerritos mean?
A Spanish surname derived from the plural of "cerrito" meaning small hills or little heights. 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 Cerritos (0.60 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 Cerritos?
Want to know how many Americans have the surname Cerritos? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.