2000
#8,111
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,766
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.40
Rare Last name
Cifuentes
A Spanish toponymic surname indicating a person from any of several places named Cifuentes, meaning "one hundred springs."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 8,083 Americans carry the last name Cifuentes. That puts it at #4,858 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.36 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 42,404 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cifuentes 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
8.1K
1 in 42,404
Census rank
#4,858
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
7.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 7,049 bearers of the surname Cifuentes in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.36 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4858th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cifuentes, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 94.9%. The next largest groups are White (4.3%) and Black (0.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cifuentes
The surname Cifuentes originated in Spain during the medieval period. It is a toponymic name derived from the town of Cifuentes, located in the province of Guadalajara, in the Castilla-La Mancha region of central Spain. The name is believed to have its roots in the Latin phrase "circa fontes," meaning "near the springs" or "around the fountains," referring to the natural springs found in the area.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Cifuentes can be found in the Becerro de Behetrías, a medieval census-like document compiled in the 14th century during the reign of King Pedro I of Castile. This document mentions several individuals bearing the surname Cifuentes, indicating that the name was already well-established by that time.
In the 15th century, Alonso Díaz de Cifuentes (c. 1470-1535) was a Spanish nobleman and military commander who played a significant role in the conquest of Mexico alongside Hernán Cortés. He was appointed as the first governor of New Spain (Mexico) in 1524.
Another notable figure with this surname was Fray Diego de Cifuentes (c. 1585-1658), a Spanish Franciscan friar and missionary who traveled to the Americas in the early 17th century. He is known for his work among the indigenous populations of New Mexico and Texas, where he established several missions and learned various Native American languages.
In the late 18th century, María Antonia Cifuentes (c. 1770-1840) was a renowned Spanish painter and portraitist who gained recognition for her skilled depictions of members of the Spanish nobility and upper class.
During the 19th century, José Cifuentes (1833-1915) was a prominent Spanish politician and lawyer who served as the Minister of Public Works and later as the Minister of Justice under the reign of King Alfonso XII.
In more recent times, Álvaro Cifuentes (born 1958) is a Chilean computer scientist and academic who has made significant contributions to the field of programming languages and software engineering. He is known for his work on the development of the Java Virtual Machine and has been recognized with various awards and honors.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals who have borne the surname Cifuentes throughout history, showcasing the rich heritage and diverse backgrounds associated with this Spanish name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cifuentes
Among Census respondents with the surname Cifuentes, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 94.9%. The next largest groups are White (4.3%) and Black (0.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Cifuentes 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 Cifuentes surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino94.9% · 6,686
- White4.3% · 305
- Black or African American0.3% · 19
- Two or more races0.3% · 19
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 11
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.1% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cifuentes
Cifuentes 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
#5,500
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,325
+2,559 bearers (+68.0%)
Per 100,000 2.14
Rank movement Up 2,611 places
2020
#4,858
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,049
+724 bearers (+11.4%)
Per 100,000 2.36
Rank movement Up 642 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,111 | 3,766 | 1.40 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,500 | 6,325 | 2.14 | +2,559 bearers (+68.0%) | Up 2,611 places |
| 2020 | #4,858 | 7,049 | 2.36 | +724 bearers (+11.4%) | Up 642 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 Cifuentes 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 | #5,500 | #4,858 | 11.7% |
| Count | 6,325 | 7,049 | 11.4% |
| Per 100K | 2.14 | 2.36 | 10.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cifuentes bearers went from 6,325 to 7,049 (+11.4% change). The surname moved up 642 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,500 to #4,858.
FAQ
Cifuentes surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cifuentes?
Name Census estimates that about 8,083 living Americans carry the surname Cifuentes. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 42,404 residents.
How common is Cifuentes?
Cifuentes ranks #4,858 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.36 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 7,049 people with the surname Cifuentes. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (8,083), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.36 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.36 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 Cifuentes.
Has Cifuentes become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cifuentes went from 6,325 recorded bearers to 7,049. That is an increase of 724 (+11.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #5,500 to #4,858.
What does the Census say about the background of Cifuentes?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cifuentes, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 94.9%. The next largest groups are White (4.3%) and Black (0.3%). 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 Cifuentes in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.9% (6,686 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cifuentes appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (94.9%), White (4.3%), Black (0.3%). 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 Cifuentes (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 Cifuentes mean?
A Spanish toponymic surname indicating a person from any of several places named Cifuentes, meaning "one hundred springs." 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 Cifuentes (2.36 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 surname Cifuentes?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.