2000
#8,371
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,630
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.35
Rare Last name
Encinas
A locational surname referring to someone living near or in an area of holm oaks or evergreen oaks.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,728 Americans carry the last name Encinas. That puts it at #7,735 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.38 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 72,495 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Encinas 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 72,495
Census rank
#7,735
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,123 bearers of the surname Encinas in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.38 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7735th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Encinas, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 86.4%. The next largest groups are White (7.7%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Encinas
The surname Encinas is of Spanish origin, derived from the word "encina" which means "holm oak" or "evergreen oak" in Spanish. The name likely originated in areas where these oak trees were abundant, such as the regions of Castile and Extremadura in Spain.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname Encinas can be traced back to the 13th century in medieval Spanish documents and records. It is believed that the name was initially given as a descriptive surname to individuals who lived near or worked with these oak trees.
One notable historical figure with the surname Encinas was Diego de Encinas, a Spanish humanist, translator, and scholar who lived in the 16th century (c. 1520-1580). He is known for his translations of classical Greek and Latin works into Spanish.
Another prominent person with this surname was Juan de Encinas, a Spanish composer and musician who lived in the late 15th and early 16th centuries (c. 1468-1530). He is considered one of the most important composers of the Spanish Renaissance.
In the 17th century, Pedro de Encinas (c. 1610-1670) was a Spanish painter known for his religious works and portraits. He was active in the city of Seville and his works can be found in various churches and museums in Spain.
Moving to the 18th century, José de Encinas y Velasco (1737-1803) was a Spanish military officer and cartographer who served in the Spanish Army and contributed to the mapping of various regions in Spain and its colonies.
In the 19th century, Manuel Encinas y Muñoz (1802-1872) was a Spanish politician and lawyer who served as a deputy in the Spanish Parliament and held various governmental positions during his career.
The surname Encinas has been present throughout Spanish history and can be found in various regions of Spain, as well as in Spanish-speaking countries where Spanish settlers and immigrants have established communities over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Encinas
Among Census respondents with the surname Encinas, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 86.4%. The next largest groups are White (7.7%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Encinas 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 Encinas surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino86.4% · 3,562
- White7.7% · 316
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.7% · 110
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.3% · 95
- Two or more races0.7% · 29
- Black or African American0.3% · 11
Timeline
Historical Census data for Encinas
Encinas 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
#7,609
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,369
+739 bearers (+20.4%)
Per 100,000 1.48
Rank movement Up 762 places
2020
#7,735
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,123
-246 bearers (-5.6%)
Per 100,000 1.38
Rank movement Down 126 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,371 | 3,630 | 1.35 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,609 | 4,369 | 1.48 | +739 bearers (+20.4%) | Up 762 places |
| 2020 | #7,735 | 4,123 | 1.38 | -246 bearers (-5.6%) | Down 126 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 Encinas 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 | #7,609 | #7,735 | -1.7% |
| Count | 4,369 | 4,123 | -5.6% |
| Per 100K | 1.48 | 1.38 | -6.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Encinas bearers went from 4,369 to 4,123 (-5.6% change). The surname moved down 126 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,609 to #7,735.
FAQ
Encinas surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Encinas?
Name Census estimates that about 4,728 living Americans carry the surname Encinas. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 72,495 residents.
How common is Encinas?
Encinas ranks #7,735 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 4,123 people with the surname Encinas. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,728), 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 Encinas.
Has Encinas become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Encinas went from 4,369 recorded bearers to 4,123. That is a decrease of 246 (-5.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,609 to #7,735.
What does the Census say about the background of Encinas?
Among Census respondents with the surname Encinas, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 86.4%. The next largest groups are White (7.7%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (2.7%). 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 Encinas in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.4% (3,562 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Encinas appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (86.4%), White (7.7%), American Indian/Alaska Native (2.7%). 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 Encinas (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 Encinas mean?
A locational surname referring to someone living near or in an area of holm oaks or evergreen oaks. 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 Encinas (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 people are called Encinas?
You can see how common the surname Encinas is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.