2010
#131,379
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 129
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Cruzada
A surname likely derived from the Spanish word "cruzada," meaning a Crusade or holy war.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 164 Americans carry the last name Cruzada. That puts it at #125,732 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.05 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,089,965 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cruzada 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
164
1 in 2,089,965
Census rank
#125,732
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
143
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 143 bearers of the surname Cruzada in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.05 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 125732nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cruzada, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 86.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.0%) and White (4.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cruzada
The surname Cruzada has its origins in Spain, dating back to the late 15th century. It is derived from the Spanish word "cruzada," which means "crusade" and is related to the Spanish word "cruz," meaning "cross." The name is believed to have originated during the time of the Reconquista, the period of Christian reconquest of the Iberian Peninsula from Islamic rule.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Cruzada can be found in the baptismal records of the Iglesia de Santa María la Mayor in Ronda, Spain, from the year 1492. The record mentions a certain Juan Cruzada, who was born in the town of Ronda, located in the province of Málaga.
Another early mention of the name can be found in the archives of the Archivo General de Indias in Seville, Spain, which contains records of Spanish colonial endeavors in the Americas. A document from 1528 refers to a certain Diego Cruzada, who was part of an expedition to the Caribbean islands.
In the 16th century, the Cruzada family established itself in the region of Extremadura, in western Spain. One notable member of this family was Hernán Cruzada de Arce (1545-1618), a Spanish military officer who served in the Spanish campaign against the Moors in Granada and later became a captain in the Spanish Armada.
During the 17th century, the name Cruzada spread to the Spanish colonies in the Americas. One prominent figure was Pedro Cruzada y Guzmán (1620-1690), a Spanish conquistador and explorer who led expeditions into the territories that are now parts of Mexico and the southwestern United States.
In the 18th century, the Cruzada family established itself in the Philippines, which was then a Spanish colony. One notable individual from this period was José Cruzada y Rincón (1745-1809), a Spanish-Filipino priest and educator who founded several schools in the Philippines and worked to promote education among the local population.
Throughout history, the surname Cruzada has been associated with various military and religious endeavors, reflecting its origins related to the Crusades and the Reconquista. The name has been borne by individuals from different walks of life, including soldiers, explorers, clergy, and educators, all of whom have left their mark on the cultural and historical tapestry of Spain and its former colonies.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cruzada
Among Census respondents with the surname Cruzada, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 86.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.0%) and White (4.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Cruzada 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 Cruzada surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander86.7% · 124
- Hispanic or Latino7.0% · 10
- White4.2% · 6
- Two or more races2.1% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cruzada
Cruzada appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#125,732
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 143
+14 bearers (+10.9%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 5,647 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #131,379 | 129 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #125,732 | 143 | 0.05 | +14 bearers (+10.9%) | Up 5,647 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 Cruzada 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 | #131,379 | #125,732 | 4.3% |
| Count | 129 | 143 | 10.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.05 | 19.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cruzada bearers went from 129 to 143 (+10.9% change). The surname moved up 5,647 positions in the national ranking, going from #131,379 to #125,732.
FAQ
Cruzada surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cruzada?
Name Census estimates that about 164 living Americans carry the surname Cruzada. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,089,965 residents.
How common is Cruzada?
Cruzada ranks #125,732 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.05 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 143 people with the surname Cruzada. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (164), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.05 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.05 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Cruzada.
Has Cruzada become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cruzada went from 129 recorded bearers to 143. That is an increase of 14 (+10.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #131,379 to #125,732.
What does the Census say about the background of Cruzada?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cruzada, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 86.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.0%) and White (4.2%). 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Cruzada in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.7% (124 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cruzada appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (86.7%), Hispanic (7.0%), White (4.2%). 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 Cruzada (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 Cruzada mean?
A surname likely derived from the Spanish word "cruzada," meaning a Crusade or holy war. 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 Cruzada (0.05 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 share the surname Cruzada?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.