2000
#9,077
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,310
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.23
Rare Last name
Espiritu
A Spanish surname meaning "spirit" or "soul," often referring to the Holy Spirit in a religious context.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,482 Americans carry the last name Espiritu. That puts it at #6,778 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.60 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 62,524 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Espiritu 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
5.5K
1 in 62,524
Census rank
#6,778
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,781 bearers of the surname Espiritu in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.60 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6778th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Espiritu, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 69.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (21.1%) and Two or More Races (5.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Espiritu
The surname Espiritu originated from Spain during the medieval period. It is derived from the Spanish word "espiritu," which means "spirit" or "soul" in English. The name likely referred to someone who was perceived as having a spiritual or soulful nature.
The earliest recorded instances of the Espiritu surname date back to the 13th century in various regions of Spain, such as Catalonia, Aragon, and Castile. It was commonly spelled as "Espiritu" or "Spiritu" during that time.
In the 16th century, the Espiritu name appeared in historical records related to the Spanish colonization of the Americas. Some notable individuals include Diego Espiritu, a Spanish conquistador who accompanied Hernán Cortés in the conquest of Mexico in the early 1500s.
Another prominent figure was María Espiritu, a Spanish nun who founded a convent in Quito, Ecuador, in the late 16th century. She was known for her piety and dedication to education and is remembered as a significant figure in the history of colonial Ecuador.
During the 17th century, the Espiritu surname was found in various parts of the Spanish empire, including the Philippines and Latin America. Juan Espiritu, a Spanish soldier and explorer, was involved in the colonization of the Philippine Islands in the early 1600s.
In the 18th century, Pedro Espiritu was a renowned Spanish painter known for his religious and historical works. He was born in Valencia in 1723 and died in Madrid in 1797.
In the 19th century, José Espiritu was a prominent Mexican politician and author. He was born in 1823 and played a significant role in the reform movements of his time, advocating for social and political changes in Mexico.
Throughout history, the Espiritu surname has been carried by individuals from various backgrounds, including artists, writers, soldiers, and religious figures. While its origins can be traced back to medieval Spain, the name has since spread to various parts of the world, reflecting the influence of Spanish culture and the diaspora of Spanish-speaking communities.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Espiritu
Among Census respondents with the surname Espiritu, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 69.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (21.1%) and Two or More Races (5.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Espiritu 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 Espiritu surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander69.5% · 3,324
- Hispanic or Latino21.1% · 1,008
- Two or more races5.1% · 243
- White4.0% · 191
- Black or African American0.3% · 12
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Espiritu
Espiritu 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
#7,502
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,438
+1,128 bearers (+34.1%)
Per 100,000 1.50
Rank movement Up 1,575 places
2020
#6,778
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,781
+343 bearers (+7.7%)
Per 100,000 1.60
Rank movement Up 724 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,077 | 3,310 | 1.23 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,502 | 4,438 | 1.50 | +1,128 bearers (+34.1%) | Up 1,575 places |
| 2020 | #6,778 | 4,781 | 1.60 | +343 bearers (+7.7%) | Up 724 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 Espiritu 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 | #7,502 | #6,778 | 9.7% |
| Count | 4,438 | 4,781 | 7.7% |
| Per 100K | 1.50 | 1.60 | 6.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Espiritu bearers went from 4,438 to 4,781 (+7.7% change). The surname moved up 724 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,502 to #6,778.
FAQ
Espiritu surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Espiritu?
Name Census estimates that about 5,482 living Americans carry the surname Espiritu. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 62,524 residents.
How common is Espiritu?
Espiritu ranks #6,778 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.60 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 4,781 people with the surname Espiritu. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,482), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.6 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.60 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 Espiritu.
Has Espiritu become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Espiritu went from 4,438 recorded bearers to 4,781. That is an increase of 343 (+7.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #7,502 to #6,778.
What does the Census say about the background of Espiritu?
Among Census respondents with the surname Espiritu, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 69.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (21.1%) and Two or More Races (5.1%). 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Espiritu in the 2020 Census, accounting for 69.5% (3,324 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Espiritu appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (69.5%), Hispanic (21.1%), Two or More Races (5.1%). 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 Espiritu (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 Espiritu mean?
A Spanish surname meaning "spirit" or "soul," often referring to the Holy Spirit in a religious context. 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 Espiritu (1.60 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 Espiritu?
Find out how many people have the last name Espiritu on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.