2000
#1,109
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 28,910
First available Census row
Per 100,000 10.72
Uncommon Last name
Correa
A surname of Spanish and Portuguese origin, derived from the word "correa," meaning "leather strap" or "belt."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 43,640 Americans carry the last name Correa. That puts it at #902 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 12.73 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 7,854 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Correa 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Correa with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
44K
1 in 7,854
Census rank
#902
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
12.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
38K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 38,056 bearers of the surname Correa in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 12.73 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 902nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Correa, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 84.3%. The next largest groups are White (10.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Correa
The surname Correa originated in Portugal and Spain. It is derived from the Spanish and Portuguese word "correa," which means "leather strap" or "belt." The name likely referred to an occupation or trade related to leather goods or belts.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname Correa can be found in medieval records from the 12th and 13th centuries. For example, the name appears in documents from the Kingdom of Aragon in Spain, such as the Cartulario de Alaon from the 13th century.
One notable historical figure with the surname Correa was Gaspar Correa, a 16th-century Portuguese explorer and chronicler. He wrote the "Lendas da Índia" (Legends of India), which provided valuable accounts of the Portuguese conquests and activities in India during that time.
Another prominent individual was Manuel Correa, a 17th-century Portuguese painter known for his religious works and portraits. He was active in Lisbon and worked for the Portuguese royal court.
In the 18th century, José Francisco Correa da Serra was a renowned Portuguese botanist, philosopher, and diplomat. He was born in 1751 and served as the Portuguese minister to the United States from 1816 to 1820.
The surname Correa also has a long history in Latin America, particularly in Brazil and Mexico. One notable figure was Fernão Corrêa de Lacerda, a 19th-century Brazilian explorer who led expeditions to map the interior of Brazil and discover its river systems.
In Mexico, Ramón Correa was a prominent military leader and politician in the 19th century. He served as the governor of several Mexican states and played a significant role in the Mexican-American War and the Reform War.
The surname Correa can be found in various spellings throughout history, such as Correa, Correia, and Correa y Correa. It is also associated with place names like Correa de Aliste in Spain and Correa de Caña in Mexico, indicating the geographic spread of the surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Correa
Among Census respondents with the surname Correa, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 84.3%. The next largest groups are White (10.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Correa 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 Correa surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino84.3% · 32,088
- White10.8% · 4,096
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.1% · 805
- Two or more races1.3% · 501
- Black or African American1.2% · 451
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 115
Timeline
Historical Census data for Correa
Correa 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
#905
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 38,232
+9,322 bearers (+32.2%)
Per 100,000 12.96
Rank movement Up 204 places
2020
#902
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 38,056
-176 bearers (-0.5%)
Per 100,000 12.73
Rank movement Up 3 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,109 | 28,910 | 10.72 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #905 | 38,232 | 12.96 | +9,322 bearers (+32.2%) | Up 204 places |
| 2020 | #902 | 38,056 | 12.73 | -176 bearers (-0.5%) | Up 3 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 Correa 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 | #905 | #902 | 0.3% |
| Count | 38,232 | 38,056 | -0.5% |
| Per 100K | 12.96 | 12.73 | -1.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Correa bearers went from 38,232 to 38,056 (-0.5% change). The surname moved up 3 positions in the national ranking, going from #905 to #902.
FAQ
Correa surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Correa?
Name Census estimates that about 43,640 living Americans carry the surname Correa. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 7,854 residents.
How common is Correa?
Correa ranks #902 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 12.73 per 100,000 residents, which is about 13 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 38,056 people with the surname Correa. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (43,640), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 12.73 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 12.73 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 13 of them to have the surname Correa.
Has Correa become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Correa went from 38,232 recorded bearers to 38,056. That is a decrease of 176 (-0.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #905 to #902.
What does the Census say about the background of Correa?
Among Census respondents with the surname Correa, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 84.3%. The next largest groups are White (10.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.1%). 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 Correa in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.3% (32,088 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Correa appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (84.3%), White (10.8%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.1%). 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 Correa (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 Correa mean?
A surname of Spanish and Portuguese origin, derived from the word "correa," meaning "leather strap" or "belt." 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 Correa (12.73 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 Correa?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.