2010
#126,018
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 136
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Espenosa
A Spanish surname likely indicating ancestral roots near a thorny or prickly region.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Espenosa. That puts it at #141,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,465,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Espenosa 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
139
1 in 2,465,859
Census rank
#141,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
121
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 121 bearers of the surname Espenosa in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 141309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Espenosa, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 89.3%. The next largest groups are White (9.1%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Espenosa
The surname Espenosa is believed to have originated in Spain, likely in the regions of Andalusia or Murcia, sometime during the Middle Ages. It is thought to be derived from the Spanish word "espinosa," which means "thorny" or "prickly," suggesting that the name may have been given to someone who lived near a thorny or prickly area.
One of the earliest recorded instances of this surname can be found in the Libro de la Montería, a 14th-century manuscript that documents hunting activities in the region of Andalusia. This text mentions a place called "Espinosa de la Sierra," which could have been the origin of the surname for those who lived in or near that area.
In the 15th century, there are records of a nobleman named Juan de Espenosa, who served as a advisor to King Juan II of Castile. This suggests that the name had gained some prominence by that time.
During the 16th century, the Spanish explorer and conquistador Gaspar de Espenosa was born in Seville, Spain, in 1512. He is known for his explorations in Mexico and his role in the pacification of the Chichimeca people in what is now northern Mexico.
Another notable figure with this surname was Alonso de Espenosa, a Spanish military officer who served in the Spanish Army during the 16th century. He was involved in the conquest of Granada and is mentioned in historical accounts from that period.
In the 17th century, there was a Spanish writer and poet named Pedro de Espenosa, who was born in Antequera, Andalusia, around 1590. He is best known for his work titled "Flores de Poetas Ilustres," which was a collection of poems by various Spanish authors.
Over time, variations of the spelling may have emerged, such as Espinosa or Espinoza, but the origin and meaning of the name remained consistent, referring to its connection to thorny or prickly areas in Spain.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Espenosa
Among Census respondents with the surname Espenosa, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 89.3%. The next largest groups are White (9.1%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Espenosa 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 Espenosa surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino89.3% · 108
- White9.1% · 11
- Two or more races1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Espenosa
Espenosa appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
-15 bearers (-11.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 15,291 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #126,018 | 136 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | -15 bearers (-11.0%) | Down 15,291 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 Espenosa 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 | #126,018 | #141,309 | -12.1% |
| Count | 136 | 121 | -11.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -19.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Espenosa bearers went from 136 to 121 (-11.0% change). The surname moved down 15,291 positions in the national ranking, going from #126,018 to #141,309.
FAQ
Espenosa surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Espenosa?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Espenosa. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Espenosa?
Espenosa ranks #141,309 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 121 people with the surname Espenosa. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (139), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Espenosa.
Has Espenosa become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Espenosa went from 136 recorded bearers to 121. That is a decrease of 15 (-11.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #126,018 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Espenosa?
Among Census respondents with the surname Espenosa, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 89.3%. The next largest groups are White (9.1%) and Two or More Races (1.7%). 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 Espenosa in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.3% (108 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Espenosa appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (89.3%), White (9.1%), Two or More Races (1.7%). 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 Espenosa (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 Espenosa mean?
A Spanish surname likely indicating ancestral roots near a thorny or prickly region. 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 Espenosa (0.04 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 Espenosa?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.