2000
#9,272
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,231
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.20
Rare Last name
Esteves
A Portuguese and Galician surname derived from the given name "Estêvão," equivalent to the English name "Stephen."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,538 Americans carry the last name Esteves. That puts it at #8,032 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.32 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 75,530 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Esteves 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Esteves with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.5K
1 in 75,530
Census rank
#8,032
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,957 bearers of the surname Esteves in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.32 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8032nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Esteves, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 48.2%. The next largest groups are White (42.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (6.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Esteves
The surname "ESTEVES" is of Portuguese origin, derived from the personal name "Estêvão," which is the Portuguese form of the Latin name "Stephanus" or "Stephanus." The name "Stephanus" itself is derived from the Greek word "stephanos," meaning "crown" or "wreath."
The earliest recorded instances of the surname "ESTEVES" can be traced back to the 12th century in Portugal. It was initially used as a patronymic surname, indicating the bearer's relation to an ancestor named Estêvão or Stephanus. The surname was particularly prevalent in the northern regions of Portugal, such as Porto and Braga.
One of the earliest documented references to the name "ESTEVES" can be found in the "Livro Velho das Linhagens" (Old Book of Lineages), a medieval Portuguese manuscript dating back to the 13th century. This manuscript contains genealogical records of noble families in Portugal, including individuals bearing the surname "ESTEVES."
During the Age of Discovery, several Portuguese explorers and navigators with the surname "ESTEVES" played significant roles in the exploration and colonization of new territories. Notable figures include João Esteves, a 15th-century navigator who accompanied Vasco da Gama on his voyage to India in 1497-1499, and Afonso Esteves, a 16th-century explorer who participated in the conquest of Brazil.
In the field of literature, one of the most renowned individuals with the surname "ESTEVES" was Gonçalo Esteves, a 16th-century Portuguese poet and playwright. He was born in Lisbon in the late 15th century and is considered one of the pioneers of Portuguese theater.
Another noteworthy figure was Manuel Esteves de Vasconcelos, a 17th-century Portuguese historian and genealogist. He authored several works on the history and nobility of Portugal, including the influential "Nobiliário das Linhagens de Portugal" (Nobility Lineages of Portugal).
In the realm of religion, Frei Estêvão Esteves, a 16th-century Portuguese Franciscan friar, gained recognition for his missionary work in Brazil. He was instrumental in establishing the first Catholic missions among the indigenous populations of the region.
The surname "ESTEVES" has also been associated with various place names in Portugal. For instance, the town of Esteves, located in the municipality of Barcelos, derives its name from the surname. Similarly, the village of Estevesinho, in the municipality of Arouca, is believed to have originated from a diminutive form of the surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Esteves
Among Census respondents with the surname Esteves, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 48.2%. The next largest groups are White (42.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (6.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Esteves 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 Esteves surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino48.2% · 1,908
- White42.0% · 1,661
- Asian and Pacific Islander6.6% · 263
- Black or African American1.6% · 63
- Two or more races1.4% · 54
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Esteves
Esteves 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
#8,439
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,913
+682 bearers (+21.1%)
Per 100,000 1.33
Rank movement Up 833 places
2020
#8,032
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,957
+44 bearers (+1.1%)
Per 100,000 1.32
Rank movement Up 407 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,272 | 3,231 | 1.20 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,439 | 3,913 | 1.33 | +682 bearers (+21.1%) | Up 833 places |
| 2020 | #8,032 | 3,957 | 1.32 | +44 bearers (+1.1%) | Up 407 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 Esteves 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 | #8,439 | #8,032 | 4.8% |
| Count | 3,913 | 3,957 | 1.1% |
| Per 100K | 1.33 | 1.32 | -0.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Esteves bearers went from 3,913 to 3,957 (+1.1% change). The surname moved up 407 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,439 to #8,032.
FAQ
Esteves surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Esteves?
Name Census estimates that about 4,538 living Americans carry the surname Esteves. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 75,530 residents.
How common is Esteves?
Esteves ranks #8,032 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.32 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 3,957 people with the surname Esteves. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,538), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.32 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.32 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 Esteves.
Has Esteves become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Esteves went from 3,913 recorded bearers to 3,957. That is an increase of 44 (+1.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #8,439 to #8,032.
What does the Census say about the background of Esteves?
Among Census respondents with the surname Esteves, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 48.2%. The next largest groups are White (42.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (6.6%). 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 Esteves in the 2020 Census, accounting for 48.2% (1,908 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Esteves appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (48.2%), White (42.0%), Asian/Pacific Islander (6.6%). 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 Esteves (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 Esteves mean?
A Portuguese and Galician surname derived from the given name "Estêvão," equivalent to the English name "Stephen." 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 Esteves (1.32 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 Esteves?
You can see how many people are called Esteves on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.