2000
#8,382
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,627
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.34
Rare Last name
Escoto
Of Spanish origin, derived from the place name Escoto, referring to someone from Escoto or a surrounding area.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,993 Americans carry the last name Escoto. That puts it at #6,267 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.75 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 57,192 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Escoto 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
6.0K
1 in 57,192
Census rank
#6,267
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,226 bearers of the surname Escoto in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.75 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6267th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Escoto, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 87.5%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (5.8%) and White (5.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Escoto
The surname ESCOTO has its origins in Spain, with the earliest known records dating back to the 13th century. The name is believed to be derived from the Spanish word "escoto," meaning "contribution" or "share," suggesting a connection to taxation or financial matters.
In the medieval period, the ESCOTO name was concentrated in the regions of Castile and Aragon, particularly in the provinces of Valladolid and Zaragoza. It is likely that the name originated from a nickname or occupation related to tax collection or financial administration during that era.
One of the earliest documented instances of the ESCOTO surname can be found in a legal document from the city of Valladolid, dated 1289, which mentions a certain "Juan Escoto" as a witness to a property transaction.
In the 14th century, the ESCOTO name appears in various municipal records and chronicles from the Kingdom of Aragon. For example, a 1347 document from the city of Zaragoza references a "Pedro Escoto" as a member of the local council.
During the 15th century, the ESCOTO family gained prominence in the region of Castile. One notable figure was Alonso Escoto (c. 1420-1495), a renowned jurist and legal scholar who served as a judge in the Royal Chancery of Valladolid.
In the 16th century, the ESCOTO name gained further recognition with the birth of Miguel Escoto (1508-1574), a Spanish Dominican friar and theologian who played a significant role in the Council of Trent and the Counter-Reformation.
Another prominent individual bearing the ESCOTO surname was Diego Escoto (1570-1634), a Spanish military officer and colonial administrator who served as the governor of Panama from 1621 to 1625.
The 17th century saw the emergence of Gaspar Escoto (1612-1688), a Spanish Jesuit priest and author who wrote extensively on theological and philosophical topics, contributing to the intellectual discourse of his time.
In the 18th century, the ESCOTO name gained international recognition with the birth of Juan Escoto (1725-1801), a Spanish navigator and explorer who participated in several expeditions to the Pacific Ocean and contributed to the mapping of the western coasts of North and South America.
While the ESCOTO surname has its roots in Spain, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly to Latin American countries, due to Spanish colonization and migration. However, the earliest and most significant historical records of the name can be traced back to its Spanish origins in the medieval and early modern periods.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Escoto
Among Census respondents with the surname Escoto, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 87.5%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (5.8%) and White (5.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Escoto 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 Escoto surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino87.5% · 4,574
- Asian and Pacific Islander5.8% · 301
- White5.5% · 286
- Two or more races0.7% · 34
- Black or African American0.5% · 24
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Escoto
Escoto 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
#6,469
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,249
+1,622 bearers (+44.7%)
Per 100,000 1.78
Rank movement Up 1,913 places
2020
#6,267
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,226
-23 bearers (-0.4%)
Per 100,000 1.75
Rank movement Up 202 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,382 | 3,627 | 1.34 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,469 | 5,249 | 1.78 | +1,622 bearers (+44.7%) | Up 1,913 places |
| 2020 | #6,267 | 5,226 | 1.75 | -23 bearers (-0.4%) | Up 202 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 Escoto 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 | #6,469 | #6,267 | 3.1% |
| Count | 5,249 | 5,226 | -0.4% |
| Per 100K | 1.78 | 1.75 | -1.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Escoto bearers went from 5,249 to 5,226 (-0.4% change). The surname moved up 202 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,469 to #6,267.
FAQ
Escoto surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Escoto?
Name Census estimates that about 5,993 living Americans carry the surname Escoto. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 57,192 residents.
How common is Escoto?
Escoto ranks #6,267 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.75 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 5,226 people with the surname Escoto. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,993), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.75 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.75 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 Escoto.
Has Escoto become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Escoto went from 5,249 recorded bearers to 5,226. That is a decrease of 23 (-0.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #6,469 to #6,267.
What does the Census say about the background of Escoto?
Among Census respondents with the surname Escoto, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 87.5%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (5.8%) and White (5.5%). 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 Escoto in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.5% (4,574 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Escoto appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (87.5%), Asian/Pacific Islander (5.8%), White (5.5%). 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 Escoto (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 Escoto mean?
Of Spanish origin, derived from the place name Escoto, referring to someone from Escoto or a surrounding area. 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 Escoto (1.75 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 last name Escoto?
If you just want to know how many people are called Escoto, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.