2000
#82
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 231,065
First available Census row
Per 100,000 85.66
Common Last name
Cruz
A surname of Spanish and Portuguese origin, meaning "cross," likely referring to one who lived near a cross.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 392,845 Americans carry the last name Cruz. That puts it at #55 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 114.61 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 872 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cruz 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 Cruz with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
393K
1 in 872
Census rank
#55
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
114.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
343K
common in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 342,580 bearers of the surname Cruz in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 114.61 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 55th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cruz, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 86.4%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (5.8%) and White (5.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cruz
The surname Cruz originated in Spain and Portugal during the medieval period. It is derived from the Spanish and Portuguese word "cruz," meaning "cross." This term likely had religious connotations, as the cross was an important symbol in Christianity.
In Spain, the name Cruz first appeared in the early 13th century, particularly in regions like Galicia, Asturias, and Castile. It may have been adopted by individuals who lived near a significant cross or chapel, or by those who worked as cross makers or carvers.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Cruz surname can be found in the Libro de las Behetrías de Castilla, a 14th-century manuscript that documented properties and landowners in the region. This suggests that the name was well-established by that time.
A notable historical figure with the surname Cruz was Gaspar da Cruz (1520-1570), a Portuguese Dominican friar and author who traveled to Asia and wrote extensively about his experiences in regions like China and Japan.
Another famous individual was Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz (1651-1695), a renowned Mexican poet, philosopher, and scholar of the Baroque period, known for her exceptional literary works and her advocacy for women's rights.
In the 16th century, the Cruz surname spread to the Americas with Spanish and Portuguese colonization. For example, Juan de la Cruz (1542-1591) was a Spanish Catholic priest and mystic who lived in Mexico and is now venerated as a saint in the Catholic Church.
The name also appeared in places like the Philippines, where the Spanish had a significant influence. One notable bearer was Pedro Calungsod (1654-1672), a Filipino Catholic martyr and saint who was canonized in 2012.
In the 19th century, Teodoro Cruz (1835-1904) was a prominent Venezuelan journalist, writer, and political figure who served as president of the Venezuelan National Assembly.
Throughout its history, the surname Cruz has been associated with religious figures, writers, artists, and political leaders, reflecting its widespread presence and cultural significance across various regions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cruz
Among Census respondents with the surname Cruz, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 86.4%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (5.8%) and White (5.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Cruz 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 Cruz surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino86.4% · 296,116
- Asian and Pacific Islander5.8% · 19,884
- White5.6% · 19,311
- Black or African American0.9% · 3,198
- Two or more races0.9% · 3,061
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 1,010
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cruz
Cruz 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
#57
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 334,201
+103,136 bearers (+44.6%)
Per 100,000 113.30
Rank movement Up 25 places
2020
#55
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 342,580
+8,379 bearers (+2.5%)
Per 100,000 114.61
Rank movement Up 2 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #82 | 231,065 | 85.66 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #57 | 334,201 | 113.30 | +103,136 bearers (+44.6%) | Up 25 places |
| 2020 | #55 | 342,580 | 114.61 | +8,379 bearers (+2.5%) | Up 2 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 Cruz 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 | #57 | #55 | 3.5% |
| Count | 334,201 | 342,580 | 2.5% |
| Per 100K | 113.30 | 114.61 | 1.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cruz bearers went from 334,201 to 342,580 (+2.5% change). The surname moved up 2 positions in the national ranking, going from #57 to #55.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Cruz
FAQ
Cruz surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cruz?
Name Census estimates that about 392,845 living Americans carry the surname Cruz. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 872 residents.
How common is Cruz?
Cruz ranks #55 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Common." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 114.61 per 100,000 residents, which is about 115 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 342,580 people with the surname Cruz. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (392,845), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 114.61 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 114.61 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 115 of them to have the surname Cruz.
Has Cruz become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cruz went from 334,201 recorded bearers to 342,580. That is an increase of 8,379 (+2.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #57 to #55.
What does the Census say about the background of Cruz?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cruz, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 86.4%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (5.8%) and White (5.6%). 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 Cruz in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.4% (296,116 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cruz appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (86.4%), Asian/Pacific Islander (5.8%), White (5.6%). 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 Cruz (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 Cruz mean?
A surname of Spanish and Portuguese origin, meaning "cross," likely referring to one who lived near a cross. 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 Cruz (114.61 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 Cruz?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.