2000
#6,491
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,822
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.79
Rare Last name
Escalera
A Spanish occupational surname referring to a ladder maker or one who scales walls.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 7,330 Americans carry the last name Escalera. That puts it at #5,266 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.14 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 46,760 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Escalera 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
7.3K
1 in 46,760
Census rank
#5,266
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,392 bearers of the surname Escalera in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.14 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5266th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Escalera, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 92.6%. The next largest groups are White (4.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Escalera
The surname "ESCALERA" originated in Spain during the late medieval period, derived from the Spanish word "escalera" which means "staircase" or "ladder." It is believed to have been initially used as a descriptive surname, referring to an individual who lived near or worked with staircases or ladders.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname "ESCALERA" can be traced back to the late 15th century in various regions of Spain, particularly in the regions of Andalusia and Valencia. Several historical documents from that era, such as tax records and property deeds, mention individuals bearing this surname.
One notable early reference to the name "ESCALERA" is found in the records of the Spanish Inquisition, where a certain Juan de Escalera was mentioned as a witness in a trial held in Seville in the year 1552.
In the 17th century, the surname gained prominence when Pedro de Escalera (1592-1672), a Spanish military officer and conquistador, participated in the conquest of Chile and served as the governor of the province of Cuyo (now part of Argentina) from 1632 to 1635.
Another notable figure bearing the "ESCALERA" surname was Fray Alonso de Escalera (1575-1637), a Spanish Franciscan friar and missionary who traveled to the Philippines and authored several works on the native languages and customs of the region.
During the 18th century, the surname "ESCALERA" appeared in various records related to the Spanish colonial administration in the Americas. For instance, José de Escalera y Guevara (1715-1782) served as the governor of the Venezuelan province of Cumaná from 1768 to 1773.
In the 19th century, a prominent individual with the "ESCALERA" surname was José María Escalera (1799-1868), a Mexican politician and military leader who played a significant role in the Mexican War of Independence and later served as the governor of the state of Jalisco.
It is worth noting that while the surname "ESCALERA" has its roots in Spain, it has also been adopted and used in various Spanish-speaking countries, particularly in Latin America, due to the influence of Spanish colonization and migration patterns.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Escalera
Among Census respondents with the surname Escalera, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 92.6%. The next largest groups are White (4.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Escalera 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 Escalera surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino92.6% · 5,917
- White4.8% · 306
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 65
- Black or African American0.8% · 53
- Two or more races0.4% · 26
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 25
Timeline
Historical Census data for Escalera
Escalera 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
#5,271
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,616
+1,794 bearers (+37.2%)
Per 100,000 2.24
Rank movement Up 1,220 places
2020
#5,266
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,392
-224 bearers (-3.4%)
Per 100,000 2.14
Rank movement Up 5 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,491 | 4,822 | 1.79 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,271 | 6,616 | 2.24 | +1,794 bearers (+37.2%) | Up 1,220 places |
| 2020 | #5,266 | 6,392 | 2.14 | -224 bearers (-3.4%) | Up 5 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 Escalera 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 | #5,271 | #5,266 | 0.1% |
| Count | 6,616 | 6,392 | -3.4% |
| Per 100K | 2.24 | 2.14 | -4.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Escalera bearers went from 6,616 to 6,392 (-3.4% change). The surname moved up 5 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,271 to #5,266.
FAQ
Escalera surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Escalera?
Name Census estimates that about 7,330 living Americans carry the surname Escalera. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 46,760 residents.
How common is Escalera?
Escalera ranks #5,266 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.14 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 6,392 people with the surname Escalera. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (7,330), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.14 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.14 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Escalera.
Has Escalera become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Escalera went from 6,616 recorded bearers to 6,392. That is a decrease of 224 (-3.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #5,271 to #5,266.
What does the Census say about the background of Escalera?
Among Census respondents with the surname Escalera, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 92.6%. The next largest groups are White (4.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%). 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 Escalera in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.6% (5,917 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Escalera appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (92.6%), White (4.8%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%). 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 Escalera (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 Escalera mean?
A Spanish occupational surname referring to a ladder maker or one who scales walls. 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 Escalera (2.14 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 have the surname Escalera?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.