2000
#3,628
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,993
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.33
Uncommon Last name
Correia
A Portuguese toponymic surname indicating someone from a place with "correia," meaning a strap or belt, in the name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 11,584 Americans carry the last name Correia. That puts it at #3,453 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.38 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 29,589 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Correia 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 Correia with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
12K
1 in 29,589
Census rank
#3,453
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
10K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 10,102 bearers of the surname Correia in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.38 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3453rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Correia, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.5%. The next largest groups are Black (10.0%) and Hispanic (6.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Correia
The surname Correia is of Portuguese origin, derived from the word "correeiro," which means "saddler" or "maker of straps and harnesses." This occupational surname first emerged in the 12th century in various regions of Portugal.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the medieval Portuguese manuscript "Livro Velho de Linhagens" (Old Book of Lineages), dating back to the 13th century. This document mentions individuals bearing the surname Correia, indicating their presence in Portugal during that era.
The name Correia can also be traced back to the town of Correia, located in the district of Guarda, in northern Portugal. It's possible that some individuals adopted the surname based on their association with this particular place, as was common practice in medieval times.
One notable figure with the surname Correia was Gaspar Correia (c. 1492-1561), a Portuguese historian and writer who authored the "Lendas da Índia" (Legends of India), a chronicle of Portuguese explorations in the Indian subcontinent during the 16th century.
Another prominent individual was Duarte Correia (c. 1550-1617), a Portuguese architect and military engineer who designed several fortifications and public buildings in various parts of the Portuguese empire, including Brazil and India.
In the 15th century, during the Age of Discovery, the surname Correia appeared in records of Portuguese explorers and navigators. For instance, João Correia participated in the expedition led by Vasco da Gama to India in 1497-1499.
The name Correia also gained recognition in the literary world with the Portuguese writer and poet António Feliciano de Castilho Correia (1800-1875), who was known for his contributions to the Romantic movement in Portuguese literature.
Another notable figure was Joaquim Correia Pinto (1884-1972), a prominent Portuguese military officer and politician who served as the President of the Council of Ministers (Prime Minister) of Portugal from 1939 to 1943.
While the surname Correia has its roots in Portugal, it has since spread to other regions, particularly through Portuguese emigration and colonization efforts in various parts of the world, including Brazil, Africa, and Asia.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Correia
Among Census respondents with the surname Correia, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.5%. The next largest groups are Black (10.0%) and Hispanic (6.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Correia 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 Correia surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White76.5% · 7,729
- Black or African American10.0% · 1,007
- Hispanic or Latino6.7% · 679
- Two or more races3.7% · 372
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.9% · 290
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 25
Timeline
Historical Census data for Correia
Correia 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
#3,525
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,126
+1,133 bearers (+12.6%)
Per 100,000 3.43
Rank movement Up 103 places
2020
#3,453
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,102
-24 bearers (-0.2%)
Per 100,000 3.38
Rank movement Up 72 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,628 | 8,993 | 3.33 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,525 | 10,126 | 3.43 | +1,133 bearers (+12.6%) | Up 103 places |
| 2020 | #3,453 | 10,102 | 3.38 | -24 bearers (-0.2%) | Up 72 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 Correia 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 | #3,525 | #3,453 | 2.0% |
| Count | 10,126 | 10,102 | -0.2% |
| Per 100K | 3.43 | 3.38 | -1.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Correia bearers went from 10,126 to 10,102 (-0.2% change). The surname moved up 72 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,525 to #3,453.
FAQ
Correia surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Correia?
Name Census estimates that about 11,584 living Americans carry the surname Correia. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 29,589 residents.
How common is Correia?
Correia ranks #3,453 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.38 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 10,102 people with the surname Correia. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (11,584), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.38 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.38 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 Correia.
Has Correia become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Correia went from 10,126 recorded bearers to 10,102. That is a decrease of 24 (-0.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #3,525 to #3,453.
What does the Census say about the background of Correia?
Among Census respondents with the surname Correia, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.5%. The next largest groups are Black (10.0%) and Hispanic (6.7%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Correia in the 2020 Census, accounting for 76.5% (7,729 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Correia appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (76.5%), Black (10.0%), Hispanic (6.7%). 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 Correia (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 Correia mean?
A Portuguese toponymic surname indicating someone from a place with "correia," meaning a strap or belt, in the name. 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 Correia (3.38 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 are called Correia?
Want to know how many Americans have the surname Correia? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.