2000
#7,482
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,105
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.52
Rare Last name
Cervantez
A Spanish toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "oak plantation" or "place of oak trees."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,448 Americans carry the last name Cervantez. That puts it at #6,815 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.59 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 62,914 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cervantez 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
5.4K
1 in 62,914
Census rank
#6,815
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,751 bearers of the surname Cervantez in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.59 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6815th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cervantez, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 91.2%. The next largest groups are White (7.3%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cervantez
The surname Cervantez originated in Spain during the medieval period. It is derived from the Spanish word "cervante," which means "deer" or "stag." The name likely referred to someone who lived near a deer habitat or who was known for hunting deer.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Cervantez dates back to the 13th century. It was found in a document from the region of Castile, where the name was initially concentrated. Over time, the spelling evolved from "Cervantes" to "Cervantez" in some cases.
The name Cervantez has a rich literary heritage. Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra (1547-1616), the renowned author of "Don Quixote," is arguably the most famous bearer of the name. His novel, published in two parts in 1605 and 1615, is considered one of the greatest works of fiction in world literature.
Another notable figure with the surname Cervantez was Juan de Cervantes (c. 1520-1593), a Spanish soldier and explorer who participated in the conquest of Mexico. He served under Hernán Cortés and played a role in the fall of the Aztec Empire.
In the 17th century, Diego de Cervantez (1601-1679) was a Spanish painter known for his religious works and portraits. He was active in Madrid and is considered a representative of the Golden Age of Spanish art.
Moving forward to the 19th century, Román Cervantez (1824-1891) was a Mexican politician and military leader. He served as the governor of the state of Coahuila and played a significant role in the Reform War, a civil conflict in Mexico.
Lastly, Joaquín Cervantez (1879-1942) was a Chilean poet and essayist. He was a member of the Literary Generation of 1900 and is best known for his works exploring themes of nature and the human condition.
While the surname Cervantez has its roots in Spain, it has since spread to other Spanish-speaking countries and regions due to migration and colonization. It remains a prominent surname, especially in Hispanic communities, carrying the legacy of its rich cultural and literary history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cervantez
Among Census respondents with the surname Cervantez, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 91.2%. The next largest groups are White (7.3%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Cervantez 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 Cervantez surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino91.2% · 4,334
- White7.3% · 347
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 24
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 21
- Black or African American0.4% · 17
- Two or more races0.2% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cervantez
Cervantez 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
#6,898
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,874
+769 bearers (+18.7%)
Per 100,000 1.65
Rank movement Up 584 places
2020
#6,815
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,751
-123 bearers (-2.5%)
Per 100,000 1.59
Rank movement Up 83 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,482 | 4,105 | 1.52 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,898 | 4,874 | 1.65 | +769 bearers (+18.7%) | Up 584 places |
| 2020 | #6,815 | 4,751 | 1.59 | -123 bearers (-2.5%) | Up 83 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 Cervantez 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 | #6,898 | #6,815 | 1.2% |
| Count | 4,874 | 4,751 | -2.5% |
| Per 100K | 1.65 | 1.59 | -3.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cervantez bearers went from 4,874 to 4,751 (-2.5% change). The surname moved up 83 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,898 to #6,815.
FAQ
Cervantez surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cervantez?
Name Census estimates that about 5,448 living Americans carry the surname Cervantez. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 62,914 residents.
How common is Cervantez?
Cervantez ranks #6,815 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.59 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,751 people with the surname Cervantez. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,448), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.59 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.59 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Cervantez.
Has Cervantez become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cervantez went from 4,874 recorded bearers to 4,751. That is a decrease of 123 (-2.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #6,898 to #6,815.
What does the Census say about the background of Cervantez?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cervantez, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 91.2%. The next largest groups are White (7.3%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.5%). 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 Cervantez in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.2% (4,334 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cervantez appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (91.2%), White (7.3%), American Indian/Alaska Native (0.5%). 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 Cervantez (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 Cervantez mean?
A Spanish toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "oak plantation" or "place of oak trees." 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 Cervantez (1.59 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 Cervantez?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.