2000
#14,096
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,959
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.73
Rare Last name
Dealba
A Spanish toponymic surname indicating a person who lived near or originated from a place with white soil.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,038 Americans carry the last name Dealba. That puts it at #11,380 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.89 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 112,822 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dealba 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
3.0K
1 in 112,822
Census rank
#11,380
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,649 bearers of the surname Dealba in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.89 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11380th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dealba, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 90.6%. The next largest groups are White (8.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dealba
The surname DEALBA has its origins in Spain and dates back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Spanish words "de" meaning "from" and "alba" meaning "dawn" or "daybreak." This suggests that the name might have been initially associated with someone who lived near or in a place called Alba or a location that was particularly notable for its beautiful sunrises.
DEALBA is a relatively uncommon surname, but it can be found in historical records and documents from various regions of Spain. One of the earliest known references to the name appears in the Cartulario de Arlanza, a 12th-century manuscript containing records of the Monastery of San Pedro de Arlanza in the province of Burgos.
In the 14th century, a prominent figure named Juan de Alba was a Spanish poet and writer who served as a courtier to King Alfonso XI of Castile. He is known for his contributions to Castilian literature and his poetic works, which were influential during the medieval period.
Another notable bearer of the DEALBA surname was Francisco de Alba, a 16th-century Spanish architect and engineer who was involved in the construction of several important buildings and fortifications in Spain and its colonies. He is particularly renowned for his work on the Alcázar of Seville and the fortifications of Cádiz.
During the 17th century, a man named Diego de Alba y Robledo was a Spanish military officer and colonial administrator who served as the governor of the province of Costa Rica from 1675 to 1679. He played a significant role in the colonization and governance of the region during that time.
In the 19th century, José de Alba y Roca was a Spanish lawyer and politician who served as a member of the Congress of Deputies, representing the province of Barcelona. He was actively involved in the political affairs of the time and contributed to the development of legal and political reforms in Spain.
While the DEALBA surname is most commonly associated with Spain, it has also been found in other Spanish-speaking regions, particularly in Latin America, where it may have been introduced by Spanish colonists and immigrants over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dealba
Among Census respondents with the surname Dealba, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 90.6%. The next largest groups are White (8.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Dealba 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 Dealba surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino90.6% · 2,401
- White8.1% · 215
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 23
- Black or African American0.3% · 7
- Two or more races0.1% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dealba
Dealba 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
#11,767
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,662
+703 bearers (+35.9%)
Per 100,000 0.90
Rank movement Up 2,329 places
2020
#11,380
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,649
-13 bearers (-0.5%)
Per 100,000 0.89
Rank movement Up 387 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,096 | 1,959 | 0.73 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,767 | 2,662 | 0.90 | +703 bearers (+35.9%) | Up 2,329 places |
| 2020 | #11,380 | 2,649 | 0.89 | -13 bearers (-0.5%) | Up 387 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 Dealba 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 | #11,767 | #11,380 | 3.3% |
| Count | 2,662 | 2,649 | -0.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.90 | 0.89 | -1.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dealba bearers went from 2,662 to 2,649 (-0.5% change). The surname moved up 387 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,767 to #11,380.
FAQ
Dealba surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dealba?
Name Census estimates that about 3,038 living Americans carry the surname Dealba. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 112,822 residents.
How common is Dealba?
Dealba ranks #11,380 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.89 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 2,649 people with the surname Dealba. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,038), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.89 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.89 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 Dealba.
Has Dealba become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dealba went from 2,662 recorded bearers to 2,649. That is a decrease of 13 (-0.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #11,767 to #11,380.
What does the Census say about the background of Dealba?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dealba, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 90.6%. The next largest groups are White (8.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%). 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 Dealba in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.6% (2,401 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dealba appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (90.6%), White (8.1%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%). 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 Dealba (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 Dealba mean?
A Spanish toponymic surname indicating a person who lived near or originated from a place with white soil. 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 Dealba (0.89 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 Dealba?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the surname Dealba on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.