2000
#367
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 77,492
First available Census row
Per 100,000 28.73
Common Last name
Cortez
A Spanish surname derived from the word "corte," meaning "court," likely referring to someone who worked or lived near a court.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 109,656 Americans carry the last name Cortez. That puts it at #327 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 31.99 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 3,126 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cortez 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 Cortez with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
110K
1 in 3,126
Census rank
#327
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
32.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
96K
common in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 95,625 bearers of the surname Cortez in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 31.99 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 327th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cortez, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 88.5%. The next largest groups are White (6.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cortez
The surname Cortez is of Spanish origin, derived from the word "corte" meaning "court" or "courtier". It is believed to have emerged during the 11th century in the Iberian Peninsula, particularly in the regions of Castile and Aragon.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Cortez can be found in the 12th century "Libro de las Behetrias" (Book of Lineages), a medieval document that recorded the names of noblemen and landowners in the Kingdom of Castile. The name was often associated with individuals who held positions in the royal court or were closely linked to the monarchy.
The Cortez surname gained particular prominence during the 16th century, when Hernán Cortés (1485-1547), a Spanish conquistador, led the conquest of the Aztec Empire in what is now modern-day Mexico. His exploits and subsequent establishment of Spanish rule in the region played a significant role in the spread and recognition of the Cortez name.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Cortez. One example is Juan Cortés (1451-1527), a Spanish nobleman and military commander who participated in the conquest of Granada and served as a trusted advisor to King Ferdinand II of Aragon.
Another prominent figure was Martín Cortés (1532-1589), the son of Hernán Cortés, who served as the second Marquis of the Valley of Oaxaca and played a crucial role in the colonization and governance of New Spain (present-day Mexico).
In the realm of literature, the Spanish poet and playwright Juan Bautista Diamante Cortés (1625-1687) made significant contributions to the Golden Age of Spanish literature with his works, including the play "El Honrador de su Padre" (The Honorer of His Father).
The Cortez surname has also been associated with various place names, such as Cortez, a city in Colorado, United States, and Cortez Island, located off the coast of British Columbia, Canada.
It is worth noting that variations of the spelling, such as Cortes, Cortés, and Cortez, can be found throughout different regions and historical records, reflecting the linguistic and cultural diversity of the regions where the name has been present.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cortez
Among Census respondents with the surname Cortez, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 88.5%. The next largest groups are White (6.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Cortez 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 Cortez surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino88.5% · 84,654
- White6.6% · 6,272
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.3% · 3,154
- Black or African American0.7% · 656
- Two or more races0.6% · 585
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 304
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cortez
Cortez 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
#310
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101,694
+24,202 bearers (+31.2%)
Per 100,000 34.47
Rank movement Up 57 places
2020
#327
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 95,625
-6,069 bearers (-6.0%)
Per 100,000 31.99
Rank movement Down 17 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #367 | 77,492 | 28.73 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #310 | 101,694 | 34.47 | +24,202 bearers (+31.2%) | Up 57 places |
| 2020 | #327 | 95,625 | 31.99 | -6,069 bearers (-6.0%) | Down 17 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 Cortez 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 | #310 | #327 | -5.5% |
| Count | 101,694 | 95,625 | -6.0% |
| Per 100K | 34.47 | 31.99 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cortez bearers went from 101,694 to 95,625 (-6.0% change). The surname moved down 17 positions in the national ranking, going from #310 to #327.
FAQ
Cortez surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cortez?
Name Census estimates that about 109,656 living Americans carry the surname Cortez. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 3,126 residents.
How common is Cortez?
Cortez ranks #327 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Common." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 31.99 per 100,000 residents, which is about 32 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 95,625 people with the surname Cortez. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (109,656), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 31.99 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 31.99 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 32 of them to have the surname Cortez.
Has Cortez become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cortez went from 101,694 recorded bearers to 95,625. That is a decrease of 6,069 (-6.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #310 to #327.
What does the Census say about the background of Cortez?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cortez, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 88.5%. The next largest groups are White (6.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.3%). 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 Cortez in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.5% (84,654 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cortez appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (88.5%), White (6.6%), Asian/Pacific Islander (3.3%). 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 Cortez (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 Cortez mean?
A Spanish surname derived from the word "corte," meaning "court," likely referring to someone who worked or lived near a court. 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 Cortez (31.99 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 Cortez?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many Americans have the surname Cortez at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.