2000
#4,307
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,621
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.83
Uncommon Last name
Curiel
A Spanish surname derived from the Catalan word "curiel," meaning a type of squirrel with reddish-gray fur.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 10,949 Americans carry the last name Curiel. That puts it at #3,627 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.19 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 31,305 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Curiel 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
11K
1 in 31,305
Census rank
#3,627
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
9.5K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 9,548 bearers of the surname Curiel in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.19 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3627th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Curiel, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 94.1%. The next largest groups are White (4.9%) and Two or More Races (0.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Curiel
The surname Curiel has its origins in Spain and can be traced back to the late 15th century. It is believed to have derived from the Spanish word "curiel," which refers to a type of fine woolen cloth that was commonly produced in the region of Castile during that time period. The name is thought to have been adopted by individuals who were involved in the production or trade of this particular fabric.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Curiel can be found in the archives of the city of Cuenca, where a document from 1492 mentions a certain Juan Curiel, a merchant who was engaged in the sale of woolen textiles. This suggests that the name had already become established as a surname by the late 15th century.
Throughout the 16th and 17th centuries, the Curiel surname can be found in various historical records and documents from different regions of Spain. For example, in the archives of the city of Seville, there are references to several individuals with the surname Curiel who were involved in various trades and professions, such as tailors, merchants, and artisans.
One notable bearer of the Curiel surname was Diego Curiel, a Spanish philosopher and theologian who lived in the late 16th century. He was born in Seville in 1555 and is known for his works on ethics and moral philosophy, including his treatise "De Iustitia et Iure" (On Justice and Law).
Another prominent figure with the Curiel surname was Gaspar Curiel, a Spanish soldier and explorer who participated in the conquest of Mexico in the early 16th century. He was born in Seville in 1490 and joined the expedition led by Hernán Cortés in 1519. Curiel played a significant role in the conquest of Mexico and was later rewarded with land grants and titles for his service.
In the 18th century, the Curiel surname can be found in various records from the Spanish colonies in the Americas. For instance, there are references to a Pedro Curiel, who was a landowner and plantation owner in Cuba during the late 1700s.
Moving into the 19th century, one notable bearer of the Curiel surname was José Curiel, a Spanish military officer and politician who served as the Governor of Puerto Rico from 1851 to 1853. He was born in Cádiz, Spain, in 1799 and played a significant role in the administration of the island during his tenure as governor.
While the Curiel surname is most commonly associated with Spain and its former colonies, it has also spread to other parts of the world due to migration and cultural exchange. Today, individuals with the surname Curiel can be found in various countries, including Mexico, Argentina, and the United States, where it has been adopted by people of Hispanic descent.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Curiel
Among Census respondents with the surname Curiel, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 94.1%. The next largest groups are White (4.9%) and Two or More Races (0.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Curiel 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 Curiel surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino94.1% · 8,989
- White4.9% · 469
- Two or more races0.3% · 33
- Black or African American0.2% · 20
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 20
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.2% · 17
Timeline
Historical Census data for Curiel
Curiel 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
#3,571
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,983
+2,362 bearers (+31.0%)
Per 100,000 3.38
Rank movement Up 736 places
2020
#3,627
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,548
-435 bearers (-4.4%)
Per 100,000 3.19
Rank movement Down 56 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,307 | 7,621 | 2.83 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,571 | 9,983 | 3.38 | +2,362 bearers (+31.0%) | Up 736 places |
| 2020 | #3,627 | 9,548 | 3.19 | -435 bearers (-4.4%) | Down 56 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 Curiel 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 | #3,571 | #3,627 | -1.6% |
| Count | 9,983 | 9,548 | -4.4% |
| Per 100K | 3.38 | 3.19 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Curiel bearers went from 9,983 to 9,548 (-4.4% change). The surname moved down 56 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,571 to #3,627.
FAQ
Curiel surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Curiel?
Name Census estimates that about 10,949 living Americans carry the surname Curiel. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 31,305 residents.
How common is Curiel?
Curiel ranks #3,627 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.19 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 9,548 people with the surname Curiel. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (10,949), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.19 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.19 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Curiel.
Has Curiel become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Curiel went from 9,983 recorded bearers to 9,548. That is a decrease of 435 (-4.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,571 to #3,627.
What does the Census say about the background of Curiel?
Among Census respondents with the surname Curiel, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 94.1%. The next largest groups are White (4.9%) and Two or More Races (0.3%). 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 Curiel in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.1% (8,989 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Curiel appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (94.1%), White (4.9%), Two or More Races (0.3%). 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 Curiel (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 Curiel mean?
A Spanish surname derived from the Catalan word "curiel," meaning a type of squirrel with reddish-gray fur. 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 Curiel (3.19 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 Curiel?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.