2000
#13,812
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,009
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.74
Rare Last name
Escalona
A habitational surname referring to someone from any of the various places named Escalona in Spain.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,844 Americans carry the last name Escalona. That puts it at #9,320 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.12 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 89,166 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Escalona 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 89,166
Census rank
#9,320
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,352 bearers of the surname Escalona in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.12 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9320th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Escalona, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 81.4%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (11.2%) and White (5.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Escalona
The surname Escalona originates from Spain, and it is believed to have emerged during the medieval period, around the 12th or 13th century. The name is derived from the Spanish word "escalón," which means "step" or "stair," indicating a possible connection to a specific location or landmark with steps or stairs.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Escalona can be found in the Libro de Repartimiento de Sevilla, a document from the 13th century that recorded the distribution of land and properties in the city of Seville after its conquest by the Christian forces in 1248. This document mentions individuals with the surname Escalona, suggesting their presence in the region during that time.
The name Escalona is also associated with several place names in Spain, such as Escalona del Prado and Escalona de Alberche, both located in the province of Toledo. These place names may have influenced the surname's origin or vice versa, as it was common for people to adopt surnames based on their place of origin or residence.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Escalona. One of the earliest recorded is Juan de Escalona (c. 1280 - c. 1350), a Spanish historian and chronicler who served as the royal archivist to King Alfonso XI of Castile. His work, "Crónica de Alfonso XI," is a valuable historical source for understanding the reign of this Castilian monarch.
Another prominent figure was Alonso Fernández de Escalona (c. 1430 - c. 1500), a Spanish nobleman and military leader who served as the Lord of Escalona and participated in the conquest of Granada, the last Muslim stronghold in the Iberian Peninsula. He played a crucial role in the final stages of the Reconquista, the centuries-long effort to reclaim the Iberian Peninsula from Moorish rule.
In the 16th century, Jerónimo de Escalona (c. 1520 - c. 1580) was a Spanish priest and scholar who made significant contributions to the study of ancient manuscripts and the preservation of historical documents. He served as the librarian of the Escorial Library, one of the most prestigious libraries in Spain during that time.
Moving to the 17th century, Juan de Escalona Agüero (c. 1610 - c. 1670) was a Spanish painter known for his religious works and portraiture. He worked in the Baroque style and was particularly renowned for his paintings adorning churches and monasteries in Madrid and its surrounding areas.
Finally, in the 19th century, Manuel María de Escalona (1805 - 1862) was a Spanish politician and writer who served as a deputy in the Cortes Generales, the Spanish parliament. He was an advocate for liberal reforms and played a role in the political upheavals that occurred during the turbulent period of the Carlist Wars in Spain.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Escalona
Among Census respondents with the surname Escalona, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 81.4%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (11.2%) and White (5.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Escalona 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 Escalona surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino81.4% · 2,728
- Asian and Pacific Islander11.2% · 375
- White5.4% · 181
- Two or more races1.0% · 33
- Black or African American0.7% · 24
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 11
Timeline
Historical Census data for Escalona
Escalona 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
#10,505
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,055
+1,046 bearers (+52.1%)
Per 100,000 1.04
Rank movement Up 3,307 places
2020
#9,320
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,352
+297 bearers (+9.7%)
Per 100,000 1.12
Rank movement Up 1,185 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,812 | 2,009 | 0.74 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,505 | 3,055 | 1.04 | +1,046 bearers (+52.1%) | Up 3,307 places |
| 2020 | #9,320 | 3,352 | 1.12 | +297 bearers (+9.7%) | Up 1,185 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 Escalona 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 | #10,505 | #9,320 | 11.3% |
| Count | 3,055 | 3,352 | 9.7% |
| Per 100K | 1.04 | 1.12 | 7.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Escalona bearers went from 3,055 to 3,352 (+9.7% change). The surname moved up 1,185 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,505 to #9,320.
FAQ
Escalona surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Escalona?
Name Census estimates that about 3,844 living Americans carry the surname Escalona. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 89,166 residents.
How common is Escalona?
Escalona ranks #9,320 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.12 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 3,352 people with the surname Escalona. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,844), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.12 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.12 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 Escalona.
Has Escalona become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Escalona went from 3,055 recorded bearers to 3,352. That is an increase of 297 (+9.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #10,505 to #9,320.
What does the Census say about the background of Escalona?
Among Census respondents with the surname Escalona, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 81.4%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (11.2%) 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Escalona in the 2020 Census, accounting for 81.4% (2,728 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Escalona appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (81.4%), Asian/Pacific Islander (11.2%), 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 Escalona (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 Escalona mean?
A habitational surname referring to someone from any of the various places named Escalona in Spain. 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 Escalona (1.12 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 Escalona?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.