2000
#9,555
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,122
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.16
Rare Last name
Cueva
A Spanish toponymic surname referring to someone who lived in or near a cave or cavern.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,720 Americans carry the last name Cueva. That puts it at #7,744 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.38 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 72,617 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cueva 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
4.7K
1 in 72,617
Census rank
#7,744
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,116 bearers of the surname Cueva in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.38 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7744th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cueva, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 88.3%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (5.6%) and White (4.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cueva
The surname "CUEVA" originated in Spain and can be traced back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Spanish word "cueva," which means "cave" or "cavern." The name likely referred to people who lived near or worked in caves.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Becerro de Behetrias, a medieval manuscript from the 13th century that documented various noble families in the Kingdoms of Castile and León. The document mentions a certain "Pedro de la Cueva" who held lands in the region.
During the 14th century, the Cueva family gained prominence in Spain, particularly in the Kingdom of Castile. Beltrán de la Cueva (1435-1492) was a prominent Spanish nobleman and courtier who served as the Grand Master of the Order of Santiago under King Henry IV of Castile.
In the 15th century, the Cueva family played a significant role in the consolidation of power by the Catholic Monarchs, Ferdinand and Isabella. Andrés de Cueva y Anaya (1439-1523) was a Spanish prelate who served as the Archbishop of Seville and the Grand Inquisitor of Spain.
The name "Cueva" is also associated with several place names in Spain, such as Cueva de Almanzora, a municipality in the province of Almería, and Cueva de Roa, a village in the province of Burgos. These place names likely originated from the presence of caves or caverns in these areas.
One notable figure with the surname "Cueva" was Juan de la Cueva (1543-1612), a Spanish playwright and poet who is considered one of the pioneers of the Spanish Golden Age of literature. His works include tragedies, comedies, and lyric poetry, and he was highly regarded by his contemporaries.
Another prominent individual with this surname was Gaspar de la Cueva (1670-1749), a Spanish naval officer and colonial administrator who served as the Governor of Chile from 1723 to 1733. He played a crucial role in strengthening the defenses of Chile against foreign threats and improving the infrastructure of the colony.
It is worth mentioning that the surname "Cueva" has also been present in other Spanish-speaking regions, such as Mexico and the Philippines, due to the Spanish colonization of these areas. However, its origins can be traced back to the Iberian Peninsula and the medieval period in Spain.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cueva
Among Census respondents with the surname Cueva, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 88.3%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (5.6%) and White (4.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Cueva 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 Cueva surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino88.3% · 3,635
- Asian and Pacific Islander5.6% · 232
- White4.7% · 194
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 19
- Two or more races0.5% · 19
- Black or African American0.4% · 17
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cueva
Cueva 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
#8,272
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,008
+886 bearers (+28.4%)
Per 100,000 1.36
Rank movement Up 1,283 places
2020
#7,744
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,116
+108 bearers (+2.7%)
Per 100,000 1.38
Rank movement Up 528 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,555 | 3,122 | 1.16 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,272 | 4,008 | 1.36 | +886 bearers (+28.4%) | Up 1,283 places |
| 2020 | #7,744 | 4,116 | 1.38 | +108 bearers (+2.7%) | Up 528 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 Cueva 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 | #8,272 | #7,744 | 6.4% |
| Count | 4,008 | 4,116 | 2.7% |
| Per 100K | 1.36 | 1.38 | 1.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cueva bearers went from 4,008 to 4,116 (+2.7% change). The surname moved up 528 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,272 to #7,744.
FAQ
Cueva surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cueva?
Name Census estimates that about 4,720 living Americans carry the surname Cueva. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 72,617 residents.
How common is Cueva?
Cueva ranks #7,744 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.38 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 4,116 people with the surname Cueva. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,720), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.38 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.38 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 Cueva.
Has Cueva become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cueva went from 4,008 recorded bearers to 4,116. That is an increase of 108 (+2.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #8,272 to #7,744.
What does the Census say about the background of Cueva?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cueva, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 88.3%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (5.6%) and White (4.7%). 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 Cueva in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.3% (3,635 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cueva appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (88.3%), Asian/Pacific Islander (5.6%), White (4.7%). 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 Cueva (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 Cueva mean?
A Spanish toponymic surname referring to someone who lived in or near a cave or cavern. 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 Cueva (1.38 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 Americans have the surname Cueva?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.