2000
#11,530
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,501
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.93
Rare Last name
Espana
A locational surname indicating a person from or connected to Spain.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,446 Americans carry the last name Espana. That puts it at #8,184 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.30 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 77,093 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Espana 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
4.4K
1 in 77,093
Census rank
#8,184
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,877 bearers of the surname Espana in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.30 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8184th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Espana, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 91.9%. The next largest groups are White (4.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Espana
The surname Espana originated from the Spanish word "España", which means "Spain" in English. This name has its roots in the country of Spain and can be traced back to the medieval period, particularly the 12th and 13th centuries.
The surname Espana likely originated from individuals who hailed from Spain or had a strong connection to the country. It was common for people during that era to adopt surnames based on their place of origin, occupation, or physical characteristics.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Espana can be found in the "Libro de las Behetrías" (Book of Behetries), a medieval Spanish document from the 14th century that lists various noble families and their possessions. The document mentions individuals with the surname Espana, indicating its existence during that time period.
In the 15th century, a prominent figure bearing the surname Espana was Alonso de Espana, a Spanish explorer and navigator who participated in several voyages to the Americas alongside Christopher Columbus. Alonso de Espana was born around 1460 and played a crucial role in the early Spanish exploration and colonization efforts in the New World.
Another notable individual with the surname Espana was Francisco de Espana, a Spanish soldier and conquistador who lived in the 16th century. He was part of the Spanish conquest of Mexico and participated in several battles against the Aztec Empire under the command of Hernán Cortés.
In the realm of literature, one cannot overlook Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra's masterpiece, "Don Quixote," published in 1605 and 1615. Within its pages, the character of Alonso Quijano, also known as Don Quixote, encounters a character named Cardenio, whose last name is Espana.
Another notable figure bearing the surname Espana was Juan de Espana, a Spanish painter who lived in the 17th century. He was known for his religious paintings and works commissioned by various churches and monasteries in Spain.
In more recent times, Alejandro Espana was a Spanish politician and lawyer who served as the Minister of Justice during the Second Spanish Republic in the 1930s. He played a significant role in the country's political landscape during a turbulent period in its history.
While the surname Espana has its roots in Spain, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through Spanish colonization and migration. However, its origins can be traced back to the medieval period in Spain, where it was likely derived from individuals closely associated with the country or its regions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Espana
Among Census respondents with the surname Espana, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 91.9%. The next largest groups are White (4.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Espana 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 Espana surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino91.9% · 3,562
- White4.8% · 188
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.4% · 93
- Two or more races0.4% · 17
- Black or African American0.4% · 16
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Espana
Espana 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
#8,019
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,127
+1,626 bearers (+65.0%)
Per 100,000 1.40
Rank movement Up 3,511 places
2020
#8,184
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,877
-250 bearers (-6.1%)
Per 100,000 1.30
Rank movement Down 165 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,530 | 2,501 | 0.93 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,019 | 4,127 | 1.40 | +1,626 bearers (+65.0%) | Up 3,511 places |
| 2020 | #8,184 | 3,877 | 1.30 | -250 bearers (-6.1%) | Down 165 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 Espana 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 | #8,019 | #8,184 | -2.1% |
| Count | 4,127 | 3,877 | -6.1% |
| Per 100K | 1.40 | 1.30 | -7.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Espana bearers went from 4,127 to 3,877 (-6.1% change). The surname moved down 165 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,019 to #8,184.
FAQ
Espana surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Espana?
Name Census estimates that about 4,446 living Americans carry the surname Espana. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 77,093 residents.
How common is Espana?
Espana ranks #8,184 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.30 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 3,877 people with the surname Espana. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,446), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.3 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.30 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 Espana.
Has Espana become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Espana went from 4,127 recorded bearers to 3,877. That is a decrease of 250 (-6.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,019 to #8,184.
What does the Census say about the background of Espana?
Among Census respondents with the surname Espana, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 91.9%. The next largest groups are White (4.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.4%). 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 Espana in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.9% (3,562 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Espana appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (91.9%), White (4.8%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.4%). 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 Espana (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 Espana mean?
A locational surname indicating a person from or connected to 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 Espana (1.30 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 Espana?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.