2000
#9,869
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,018
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.12
Rare Last name
Espitia
A Spanish habitational surname referring to someone from any of several places called Espitia, derived from Latin "hospitium" meaning "hospice."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,753 Americans carry the last name Espitia. That puts it at #7,700 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.39 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 72,113 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Espitia 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
4.8K
1 in 72,113
Census rank
#7,700
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,145 bearers of the surname Espitia in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.39 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7700th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Espitia, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 94.5%. The next largest groups are White (4.7%) and Two or More Races (0.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Espitia
The surname Espitia originates from Spain and can be traced back to the 15th century. It is believed to have derived from the Spanish word "espita," which means a spout or spigot used for pouring liquids. Historically, people often adopted surnames based on their occupation or trade, suggesting that the earliest bearers of this surname may have been involved in the production or distribution of wine or other liquids.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Espitia can be found in the Archives of Seville, where a certain Juan de Espitia was mentioned as a resident of the city in the year 1492. This record coincides with the era of the Spanish Reconquista and the expulsion of the Moors from the Iberian Peninsula, indicating that the name was already established in Spain during this pivotal period.
In the 16th century, the Espitia surname gained prominence in the region of Extremadura, where several members of the family were recorded as landowners and prominent citizens. Notably, Alonso de Espitia, born in 1523, was a renowned scholar and author who wrote extensively on the history and culture of the region.
As Spanish explorers and colonizers ventured to the Americas, the Espitia surname followed. In the late 16th century, records show that a certain Pedro de Espitia was among the early settlers in the Spanish colony of New Granada, which encompassed parts of modern-day Colombia and Venezuela. This suggests that the name had already begun to spread beyond the borders of Spain by this time.
Throughout the 17th and 18th centuries, the Espitia surname appeared in various historical documents and records across Spain and its colonies. One notable figure was Gaspar de Espitia, born in 1672, who served as a military officer and governor in the Spanish territories of Florida and Louisiana.
In more recent times, the Espitia surname has continued to be present in various parts of the world, particularly in Latin America and regions with strong Spanish cultural influences. Some notable individuals with this surname include:
1. Carlos Espitia (1895-1976), a Colombian painter and sculptor known for his works depicting the country's indigenous cultures and landscapes.
2. Jaime Espitia (born 1947), a Colombian actor and director who has appeared in numerous television shows and films.
3. Espitia Reneo (1839-1916), a Peruvian military leader and politician who served as President of Peru from 1901 to 1903.
4. Jesús Espitia (born 1984), a Mexican professional boxer who has competed in multiple weight divisions and held several regional titles.
5. María Espitia (1915-1997), a renowned Colombian poet and writer whose works explored themes of identity, feminism, and social justice.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Espitia
Among Census respondents with the surname Espitia, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 94.5%. The next largest groups are White (4.7%) and Two or More Races (0.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Espitia 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 Espitia surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino94.5% · 3,916
- White4.7% · 195
- Two or more races0.3% · 11
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.2% · 10
- Black or African American0.2% · 9
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Espitia
Espitia 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
#7,677
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,324
+1,306 bearers (+43.3%)
Per 100,000 1.47
Rank movement Up 2,192 places
2020
#7,700
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,145
-179 bearers (-4.1%)
Per 100,000 1.39
Rank movement Down 23 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,869 | 3,018 | 1.12 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,677 | 4,324 | 1.47 | +1,306 bearers (+43.3%) | Up 2,192 places |
| 2020 | #7,700 | 4,145 | 1.39 | -179 bearers (-4.1%) | Down 23 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 Espitia 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 | #7,677 | #7,700 | -0.3% |
| Count | 4,324 | 4,145 | -4.1% |
| Per 100K | 1.47 | 1.39 | -5.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Espitia bearers went from 4,324 to 4,145 (-4.1% change). The surname moved down 23 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,677 to #7,700.
FAQ
Espitia surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Espitia?
Name Census estimates that about 4,753 living Americans carry the surname Espitia. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 72,113 residents.
How common is Espitia?
Espitia ranks #7,700 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.39 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 4,145 people with the surname Espitia. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,753), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.39 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.39 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 Espitia.
Has Espitia become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Espitia went from 4,324 recorded bearers to 4,145. That is a decrease of 179 (-4.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,677 to #7,700.
What does the Census say about the background of Espitia?
Among Census respondents with the surname Espitia, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 94.5%. The next largest groups are White (4.7%) and Two or More Races (0.3%). 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 Espitia in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.5% (3,916 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Espitia appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (94.5%), White (4.7%), Two or More Races (0.3%). 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 Espitia (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 Espitia mean?
A Spanish habitational surname referring to someone from any of several places called Espitia, derived from Latin "hospitium" meaning "hospice." 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 Espitia (1.39 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 are called Espitia?
See how many people are called Espitia on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.