2000
#17,214
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,516
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.56
Rare Last name
Cuba
A surname of Spanish origin, likely referring to an ancestor who came from the island nation of Cuba.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,331 Americans carry the last name Cuba. That puts it at #14,176 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.68 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 147,042 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cuba 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
2.3K
1 in 147,042
Census rank
#14,176
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,033 bearers of the surname Cuba in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.68 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14176th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cuba, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 55.1%. The next largest groups are White (29.2%) and Black (9.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cuba
The surname CUBA is of Spanish origin, deriving from the name of the Caribbean island country of Cuba. The name likely emerged in the 16th or 17th century during the Spanish colonization of the region.
The Spanish name "Cuba" is thought to have originated from the Taíno language, spoken by the indigenous people of the Caribbean islands. It is believed to be derived from the Taíno words "cubao" or "coabana," meaning "fertile land" or "great place."
Some of the earliest known references to the surname CUBA can be found in Spanish colonial records from the 16th and 17th centuries, when Spanish settlers and administrators began establishing themselves in Cuba. During this period, the surname may have been adopted by individuals with connections to the island, whether through birth, residence, or administrative roles.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname CUBA was Diego de Cuba, a Spanish conquistador and explorer who participated in the conquest of Cuba in the early 16th century. Another notable figure was Nicolás de Cuba, a Spanish soldier and colonial administrator who served as the interim governor of Cuba in the late 16th century.
In the 18th century, Juan de Cuba y Arredondo (1667-1743) was a Spanish military officer and colonial administrator who served as the governor of Cuba from 1724 to 1734. During his tenure, he oversaw the construction of several important fortifications in Havana, including the iconic El Morro Castle.
The 19th century saw the birth of José María de Cuba y Soler (1808-1880), a Cuban lawyer, politician, and independence advocate who played a prominent role in the struggle for Cuban independence from Spanish rule. He was a member of the Cuban Revolutionary Party and served as the president of the Cuban Revolutionary Committee in exile.
Another notable figure was José de Cuba y García (1858-1917), a Cuban artist and painter known for his landscapes, portraits, and religious works. He studied at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando in Madrid and is considered one of the most important Cuban painters of the late 19th century.
While the surname CUBA is primarily associated with Spain and its former colonies, it has also been adopted by individuals in other parts of the world, likely due to migration and cultural exchange. However, its roots can be traced back to the Spanish colonization of the Caribbean island that bears its name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cuba
Among Census respondents with the surname Cuba, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 55.1%. The next largest groups are White (29.2%) and Black (9.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Cuba 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 Cuba surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino55.1% · 1,121
- White29.2% · 594
- Black or African American9.7% · 197
- Asian and Pacific Islander4.0% · 81
- Two or more races1.9% · 39
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cuba
Cuba 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
#15,090
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,955
+439 bearers (+29.0%)
Per 100,000 0.66
Rank movement Up 2,124 places
2020
#14,176
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,033
+78 bearers (+4.0%)
Per 100,000 0.68
Rank movement Up 914 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #17,214 | 1,516 | 0.56 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #15,090 | 1,955 | 0.66 | +439 bearers (+29.0%) | Up 2,124 places |
| 2020 | #14,176 | 2,033 | 0.68 | +78 bearers (+4.0%) | Up 914 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 Cuba 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 | #15,090 | #14,176 | 6.1% |
| Count | 1,955 | 2,033 | 4.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.66 | 0.68 | 3.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cuba bearers went from 1,955 to 2,033 (+4.0% change). The surname moved up 914 positions in the national ranking, going from #15,090 to #14,176.
FAQ
Cuba surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cuba?
Name Census estimates that about 2,331 living Americans carry the surname Cuba. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 147,042 residents.
How common is Cuba?
Cuba ranks #14,176 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.68 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,033 people with the surname Cuba. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,331), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.68 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.68 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Cuba.
Has Cuba become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cuba went from 1,955 recorded bearers to 2,033. That is an increase of 78 (+4.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #15,090 to #14,176.
What does the Census say about the background of Cuba?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cuba, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 55.1%. The next largest groups are White (29.2%) and Black (9.7%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Cuba in the 2020 Census, accounting for 55.1% (1,121 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cuba appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (55.1%), White (29.2%), Black (9.7%). 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 Cuba (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 Cuba mean?
A surname of Spanish origin, likely referring to an ancestor who came from the island nation of Cuba. 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 Cuba (0.68 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 common is the surname Cuba?
Want to know how common the surname Cuba is? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.