2000
#10,946
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,668
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.99
Rare Last name
Delacerda
Of Spanish origin, derived from the place name "La Cerda," meaning "the bristle" or "the silk."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,770 Americans carry the last name Delacerda. That puts it at #9,464 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.10 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 90,916 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Delacerda 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
3.8K
1 in 90,916
Census rank
#9,464
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,288 bearers of the surname Delacerda in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.10 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9464th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Delacerda, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 86.1%. The next largest groups are White (11.7%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Delacerda
The surname DELACERDA has its origins in Spain, tracing back to the medieval period around the 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Spanish words "de la" meaning "of the" and "cerda" meaning "bristle" or "bristly hair." This suggests that the name may have originally been a descriptor or nickname related to someone's physical appearance or occupation.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the DELACERDA name can be found in the Codex Calixtinus, a 12th-century manuscript associated with the Santiago de Compostela pilgrimage routes. This document references a certain Rodrigo DELACERDA, though little is known about this individual's specific background or significance.
During the 13th century, the DELACERDA name gained prominence in the region of Castile, particularly in the city of Burgos. Several notable figures bore this surname during this period, including Pedro DELACERDA (c. 1210-1275), a prominent nobleman and military leader who served under King Alfonso X of Castile.
In the 14th century, the DELACERDA family established a strong presence in the town of Medinaceli, located in the province of Soria. It is here that one of the most famous bearers of the name, Luis DELACERDA (c. 1350-1414), served as the Duke of Medinaceli and played a significant role in the political and military affairs of the time.
Another notable figure was Alonso DELACERDA (c. 1490-1564), a Spanish conquistador who accompanied Hernán Cortés in the conquest of Mexico. He later became one of the first Spanish settlers in the region, establishing a family lineage that continued for generations.
In the realm of literature, the DELACERDA name gained recognition through the works of the Spanish poet and playwright, Félix Lope de Vega y DELACERDA (1562-1635), who was one of the most prolific and influential writers of the Spanish Golden Age.
Throughout its history, the DELACERDA surname has been associated with nobility, military prowess, and cultural achievements in Spain. While its origins may have been humble, the name has left an indelible mark on the annals of Spanish history and continues to be a source of pride for its bearers today.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Delacerda
Among Census respondents with the surname Delacerda, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 86.1%. The next largest groups are White (11.7%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Delacerda 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 Delacerda surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino86.1% · 2,830
- White11.7% · 385
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 27
- Black or African American0.6% · 19
- Two or more races0.5% · 18
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Delacerda
Delacerda 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
#9,573
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,395
+727 bearers (+27.2%)
Per 100,000 1.15
Rank movement Up 1,373 places
2020
#9,464
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,288
-107 bearers (-3.2%)
Per 100,000 1.10
Rank movement Up 109 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,946 | 2,668 | 0.99 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,573 | 3,395 | 1.15 | +727 bearers (+27.2%) | Up 1,373 places |
| 2020 | #9,464 | 3,288 | 1.10 | -107 bearers (-3.2%) | Up 109 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 Delacerda 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 | #9,573 | #9,464 | 1.1% |
| Count | 3,395 | 3,288 | -3.2% |
| Per 100K | 1.15 | 1.10 | -4.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Delacerda bearers went from 3,395 to 3,288 (-3.2% change). The surname moved up 109 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,573 to #9,464.
FAQ
Delacerda surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Delacerda?
Name Census estimates that about 3,770 living Americans carry the surname Delacerda. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 90,916 residents.
How common is Delacerda?
Delacerda ranks #9,464 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.10 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 3,288 people with the surname Delacerda. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,770), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.1 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.10 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 Delacerda.
Has Delacerda become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Delacerda went from 3,395 recorded bearers to 3,288. That is a decrease of 107 (-3.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #9,573 to #9,464.
What does the Census say about the background of Delacerda?
Among Census respondents with the surname Delacerda, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 86.1%. The next largest groups are White (11.7%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.8%). 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 Delacerda in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.1% (2,830 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Delacerda appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (86.1%), White (11.7%), American Indian/Alaska Native (0.8%). 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 Delacerda (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 Delacerda mean?
Of Spanish origin, derived from the place name "La Cerda," meaning "the bristle" or "the silk." 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 Delacerda (1.10 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 Delacerda?
You can see how many people are called Delacerda on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.