2000
#6,279
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,997
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.85
Rare Last name
Coronel
A Spanish surname derived from the military rank of colonel, indicating an ancestor who served in that role.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 8,899 Americans carry the last name Coronel. That puts it at #4,431 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.60 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 38,516 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Coronel 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
8.9K
1 in 38,516
Census rank
#4,431
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
7.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 7,760 bearers of the surname Coronel in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.60 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4431st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Coronel, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 84.7%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (9.5%) and White (4.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Coronel
The surname Coronel originated in Spain during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Spanish word "coronel," which means "colonel" or "military commander." The name likely first emerged as a descriptive term for someone who held a high military rank or was involved in military affairs.
In the 14th century, the surname Coronel is found recorded in historical documents from various regions of Spain, including Castile, Aragon, and Andalusia. One of the earliest known bearers of this name was Gonzalo Fernández Coronel, a prominent Spanish military leader who fought in the Reconquista against the Moors in the late 13th and early 14th centuries.
The Coronel surname is also associated with several noble families in Spain, such as the Coronel family from Seville, who were granted a coat of arms in the 15th century. This family produced notable figures like Pedro Coronel, a 16th-century Spanish explorer and navigator who participated in expeditions to the Americas.
During the Spanish colonization of the Americas, the surname Coronel spread to various regions of Latin America, including Mexico, Peru, and Argentina. One famous bearer of this name was Juan Vázquez Coronel, a 16th-century Spanish conquistador who played a significant role in the conquest of Guatemala.
Another notable figure with the surname Coronel was Francisco Coronel y Romero, a 17th-century Spanish playwright and poet known for his contributions to the Spanish Golden Age of literature. His works included plays and poems that explored themes of love, honor, and morality.
In the 19th century, the Coronel surname gained prominence in Chile, where it was associated with several prominent political and military figures. One of the most famous was José María Coronel, a Chilean military officer and politician who served as President of Chile from 1851 to 1852.
Overall, the surname Coronel has a rich history rooted in Spain's military and noble traditions, and its bearers have made significant contributions in various fields, including exploration, literature, and politics, throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Coronel
Among Census respondents with the surname Coronel, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 84.7%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (9.5%) and White (4.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Coronel 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 Coronel surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino84.7% · 6,574
- Asian and Pacific Islander9.5% · 740
- White4.7% · 367
- Two or more races0.5% · 42
- Black or African American0.4% · 29
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Coronel
Coronel 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
#4,582
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,745
+2,748 bearers (+55.0%)
Per 100,000 2.63
Rank movement Up 1,697 places
2020
#4,431
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,760
+15 bearers (+0.2%)
Per 100,000 2.60
Rank movement Up 151 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,279 | 4,997 | 1.85 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,582 | 7,745 | 2.63 | +2,748 bearers (+55.0%) | Up 1,697 places |
| 2020 | #4,431 | 7,760 | 2.60 | +15 bearers (+0.2%) | Up 151 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 Coronel 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 | #4,582 | #4,431 | 3.3% |
| Count | 7,745 | 7,760 | 0.2% |
| Per 100K | 2.63 | 2.60 | -1.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Coronel bearers went from 7,745 to 7,760 (+0.2% change). The surname moved up 151 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,582 to #4,431.
FAQ
Coronel surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Coronel?
Name Census estimates that about 8,899 living Americans carry the surname Coronel. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 38,516 residents.
How common is Coronel?
Coronel ranks #4,431 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.60 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 7,760 people with the surname Coronel. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (8,899), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.6 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.60 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Coronel.
Has Coronel become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Coronel went from 7,745 recorded bearers to 7,760. That is an increase of 15 (+0.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #4,582 to #4,431.
What does the Census say about the background of Coronel?
Among Census respondents with the surname Coronel, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 84.7%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (9.5%) and White (4.7%). 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 Coronel in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.7% (6,574 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Coronel appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (84.7%), Asian/Pacific Islander (9.5%), White (4.7%). 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 Coronel (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 Coronel mean?
A Spanish surname derived from the military rank of colonel, indicating an ancestor who served in that role. 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 Coronel (2.60 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 many people have the surname Coronel?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.