2000
#3,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,167
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.77
Uncommon Last name
Estrella
A Spanish surname meaning "star," likely referring to a heavenly or guiding star.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 15,834 Americans carry the last name Estrella. That puts it at #2,553 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 4.62 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 21,647 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Estrella 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
16K
1 in 21,647
Census rank
#2,553
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
4.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
14K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 13,808 bearers of the surname Estrella in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 4.62 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2553rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Estrella, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 78.9%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (9.4%) and White (9.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Estrella
The surname Estrella has its origins in the Spanish language, tracing its roots back to the medieval era in the Iberian Peninsula. It is derived from the Spanish word "estrella," which means "star." This name likely emerged as a descriptive surname, given to individuals who lived near a prominent star-shaped landmark or had a distinguishing physical feature resembling a star.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Estrella surname can be found in the "Libro de la Montería" (Book of the Hunt), a 14th-century manuscript detailing hunting exploits during the reign of King Alfonso XI of Castile. This document mentions several individuals with the surname Estrella, indicating its presence in the region during that period.
In the late 15th century, the surname gained prominence with the birth of Diego de Estrella (c. 1475-1540), a Spanish conquistador who accompanied Hernán Cortés on his expedition to Mexico. Estrella played a significant role in the conquest of the Aztec Empire and later served as an encomendero, managing land grants and indigenous labor in New Spain.
Another notable figure bearing the Estrella surname was María de la Estrella (c. 1660-1720), a Spanish mystic and writer from Madrid. Her spiritual works, including "Camino de Perfección" and "Tratado del Amor de Dios," gained widespread recognition and influenced religious thought during the 17th century.
The Estrella surname also has a connection to place names in Spain. The town of Estrella, located in the province of Toledo, likely derived its name from a star-shaped geographical feature or celestial reference. Similarly, the village of Estrellapoblado in the province of Soria may have been named after individuals bearing the Estrella surname who settled in the area.
In the Americas, one of the earliest recorded individuals with the Estrella surname was Mateo de Estrella (c. 1570-1640), a Spanish-born explorer and cartographer. He is credited with mapping parts of the Gulf Coast of present-day Texas and Louisiana, contributing to the exploration and understanding of the region during the early colonial period.
Another notable figure was Juan Bautista de Estrella (c. 1690-1760), a Spanish architect and engineer who worked on various projects in Mexico City and the surrounding areas. His contributions include the design and construction of several churches, convents, and public buildings, leaving a lasting legacy in the architectural landscape of New Spain.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Estrella
Among Census respondents with the surname Estrella, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 78.9%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (9.4%) and White (9.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Estrella 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 Estrella surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino78.9% · 10,897
- Asian and Pacific Islander9.4% · 1,293
- White9.2% · 1,275
- Two or more races1.2% · 166
- Black or African American0.7% · 96
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 81
Timeline
Historical Census data for Estrella
Estrella 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
#2,618
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 13,758
+3,591 bearers (+35.3%)
Per 100,000 4.66
Rank movement Up 603 places
2020
#2,553
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 13,808
+50 bearers (+0.4%)
Per 100,000 4.62
Rank movement Up 65 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,221 | 10,167 | 3.77 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,618 | 13,758 | 4.66 | +3,591 bearers (+35.3%) | Up 603 places |
| 2020 | #2,553 | 13,808 | 4.62 | +50 bearers (+0.4%) | Up 65 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 Estrella 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 | #2,618 | #2,553 | 2.5% |
| Count | 13,758 | 13,808 | 0.4% |
| Per 100K | 4.66 | 4.62 | -0.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Estrella bearers went from 13,758 to 13,808 (+0.4% change). The surname moved up 65 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,618 to #2,553.
FAQ
Estrella surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Estrella?
Name Census estimates that about 15,834 living Americans carry the surname Estrella. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 21,647 residents.
How common is Estrella?
Estrella ranks #2,553 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 4.62 per 100,000 residents, which is about 5 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 13,808 people with the surname Estrella. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (15,834), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 4.62 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 4.62 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 5 of them to have the surname Estrella.
Has Estrella become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Estrella went from 13,758 recorded bearers to 13,808. That is an increase of 50 (+0.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #2,618 to #2,553.
What does the Census say about the background of Estrella?
Among Census respondents with the surname Estrella, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 78.9%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (9.4%) and White (9.2%). 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 Estrella in the 2020 Census, accounting for 78.9% (10,897 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Estrella appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (78.9%), Asian/Pacific Islander (9.4%), White (9.2%). 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 Estrella (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 Estrella mean?
A Spanish surname meaning "star," likely referring to a heavenly or guiding star. 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 Estrella (4.62 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 Estrella?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.