2000
#850
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 37,050
First available Census row
Per 100,000 13.73
Uncommon Last name
Cisneros
A Spanish habitational surname referring to someone from any of several places named Cisneros, meaning "swan marshes."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 56,577 Americans carry the last name Cisneros. That puts it at #675 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 16.51 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 6,058 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cisneros 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
57K
1 in 6,058
Census rank
#675
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
16.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
49K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 49,338 bearers of the surname Cisneros in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 16.51 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 675th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cisneros, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 93.8%. The next largest groups are White (5.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cisneros
The surname Cisneros is of Spanish origin, derived from the word "cismero," which means "thorny bush" or "bramble." It is believed to have originated in the 12th century in the region of Castilla-La Mancha, Spain.
The earliest recorded use of the name can be traced back to the 13th century, when it appeared in various documents and manuscripts from the region. One notable example is the mention of a person named Rodrigo Cisneros in the "Libro de la Montería" (Book of the Hunt), written in 1305 by King Alfonso XI of Castile.
The name Cisneros is also associated with several historical figures, including the influential Cardinal Francisco Jiménez de Cisneros (1436-1517), who served as the Grand Inquisitor of Spain and played a significant role in the Spanish Inquisition. He was also a renowned statesman, scholar, and patron of the arts.
Another notable figure with the surname Cisneros is Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla (1753-1811), a Mexican Catholic priest and revolutionary leader who is considered the Father of Mexican Independence. His full name was Miguel Gregorio Antonio Ignacio Hidalgo y Costilla Gallaga Mandarte Villaseñor Cisneros.
In the 16th century, the name Cisneros appeared in various records from the Spanish colonial era, particularly in documents related to the exploration and settlement of the Americas. One example is Juan de Cisneros, a Spanish conquistador who participated in the conquest of Peru alongside Francisco Pizarro.
The surname Cisneros can also be found in historical records from other Spanish-speaking countries, such as Mexico, where it is believed to have been introduced during the colonial period. In Mexico, the name is sometimes associated with the town of Cisneros, located in the state of Michoacán.
Other notable individuals with the surname Cisneros include José María Cisneros (1766-1834), a Venezuelan military leader and politician who played a significant role in the Venezuelan War of Independence, and Antonio Cisneros (1942-2012), a Peruvian writer and journalist known for his work on Peruvian culture and literature.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cisneros
Among Census respondents with the surname Cisneros, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 93.8%. The next largest groups are White (5.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Cisneros 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 Cisneros surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino93.8% · 46,298
- White5.0% · 2,482
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 172
- Two or more races0.3% · 150
- Black or African American0.3% · 124
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 112
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cisneros
Cisneros 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
#670
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 50,920
+13,870 bearers (+37.4%)
Per 100,000 17.26
Rank movement Up 180 places
2020
#675
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 49,338
-1,582 bearers (-3.1%)
Per 100,000 16.51
Rank movement Down 5 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #850 | 37,050 | 13.73 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #670 | 50,920 | 17.26 | +13,870 bearers (+37.4%) | Up 180 places |
| 2020 | #675 | 49,338 | 16.51 | -1,582 bearers (-3.1%) | Down 5 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 Cisneros 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 | #670 | #675 | -0.7% |
| Count | 50,920 | 49,338 | -3.1% |
| Per 100K | 17.26 | 16.51 | -4.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cisneros bearers went from 50,920 to 49,338 (-3.1% change). The surname moved down 5 positions in the national ranking, going from #670 to #675.
FAQ
Cisneros surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cisneros?
Name Census estimates that about 56,577 living Americans carry the surname Cisneros. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 6,058 residents.
How common is Cisneros?
Cisneros ranks #675 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 16.51 per 100,000 residents, which is about 17 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 49,338 people with the surname Cisneros. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (56,577), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 16.51 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 16.51 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 17 of them to have the surname Cisneros.
Has Cisneros become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cisneros went from 50,920 recorded bearers to 49,338. That is a decrease of 1,582 (-3.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #670 to #675.
What does the Census say about the background of Cisneros?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cisneros, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 93.8%. The next largest groups are White (5.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (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 Cisneros in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.8% (46,298 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cisneros 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 (0.3%). 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 Cisneros (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 Cisneros mean?
A Spanish habitational surname referring to someone from any of several places named Cisneros, meaning "swan marshes." 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 Cisneros (16.51 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 Americans have the surname Cisneros?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.