2010
#160,975
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Desierto
A Spanish surname meaning desert or wilderness.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 127 Americans carry the last name Desierto. That puts it at #148,665 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,698,853 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Desierto 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
127
1 in 2,698,853
Census rank
#148,665
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
111
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 111 bearers of the surname Desierto in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 148665th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Desierto, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 85.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.2%) and White (5.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Desierto
The surname Desierto is of Spanish origin, derived from the Spanish word "desierto" meaning "desert." It likely originated in Spain during the medieval period, possibly referring to someone who lived in or near a desert region or had some connection to the desert environment.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Desierto can be traced back to the 15th century in various regions of Spain, particularly in areas with arid or semi-arid climates. Some of the earliest known bearers of this surname include Juan del Desierto, born in 1439 in Seville, and Pedro Desierto, a farmer from Murcia, mentioned in a land registry document from 1482.
In the 16th century, the name Desierto appeared in various historical records and documents, including the "Libro de las Bulas" (Book of Bulls), a collection of papal decrees and documents from the Spanish Empire. One notable figure from this period was Fray Tomás Desierto, a Franciscan friar and explorer born in 1518 in Córdoba, who accompanied expeditions to the Americas and documented his travels through the deserts of the Americas.
During the 17th century, the Desierto surname continued to be found in various regions of Spain, with some bearers migrating to the Spanish colonies in the Americas. One notable figure from this time was Catalina Desierto, born in 1621 in Seville, who later settled in Mexico City and became a prominent landowner and philanthropist.
In the 18th century, the Desierto surname appeared in records from various parts of the Spanish Empire, including the Americas. One notable bearer was Antonio Desierto, born in 1732 in Cádiz, Spain, who later became a renowned explorer and cartographer, mapping vast areas of the deserts in what is now the southwestern United States and northern Mexico.
In the 19th century, the Desierto surname was found in various parts of Spain, as well as in Spanish-speaking countries in Latin America. One notable figure from this period was General Juan Desierto, born in 1812 in Granada, Spain, who fought in several military campaigns and played a significant role in the Spanish-American War.
Over the centuries, the Desierto surname has been associated with various professions, including farmers, explorers, military personnel, and landowners, often reflecting a connection to arid or desert environments. While the name has its roots in Spain, it has since spread to various parts of the Spanish-speaking world, reflecting the historical spread of the Spanish language and culture.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Desierto
Among Census respondents with the surname Desierto, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 85.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.2%) and White (5.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Desierto 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 Desierto surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander85.6% · 95
- Two or more races7.2% · 8
- White5.4% · 6
- Hispanic or Latino1.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Desierto
Desierto appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#148,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
+11 bearers (+11.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 12,310 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #160,975 | 100 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #148,665 | 111 | 0.04 | +11 bearers (+11.0%) | Up 12,310 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 Desierto 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 | #160,975 | #148,665 | 7.6% |
| Count | 100 | 111 | 11.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 23.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Desierto bearers went from 100 to 111 (+11.0% change). The surname moved up 12,310 positions in the national ranking, going from #160,975 to #148,665.
FAQ
Desierto surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Desierto?
Name Census estimates that about 127 living Americans carry the surname Desierto. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,698,853 residents.
How common is Desierto?
Desierto ranks #148,665 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 111 people with the surname Desierto. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (127), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Desierto.
Has Desierto become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Desierto went from 100 recorded bearers to 111. That is an increase of 11 (+11.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #160,975 to #148,665.
What does the Census say about the background of Desierto?
Among Census respondents with the surname Desierto, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 85.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.2%) and White (5.4%). 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Desierto in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.6% (95 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Desierto appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (85.6%), Two or More Races (7.2%), White (5.4%). 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 Desierto (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 Desierto mean?
A Spanish surname meaning desert or wilderness. 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 Desierto (0.04 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 people are called Desierto?
You can see how common the surname Desierto is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.