2000
#178
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 139,302
First available Census row
Per 100,000 51.64
Common Last name
Fernandez
A patronymic surname meaning "son of Fernando," a Spanish and Portuguese name derived from the Germanic name Ferdinand.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 212,548 Americans carry the last name Fernandez. That puts it at #134 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 62.01 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,613 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Fernandez 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 Fernandez with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
213K
1 in 1,613
Census rank
#134
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
62.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
185K
common in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 185,352 bearers of the surname Fernandez in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 62.01 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 134th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Fernandez, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 83.8%. The next largest groups are White (7.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (5.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Fernandez
The surname Fernandez is of Spanish origin, derived from the Iberian Peninsula during the Middle Ages. It originated from the personal name Fernando, which is a Visigothic name composed of the Germanic elements "fraidi" meaning peace and "nanth" meaning daring or brave. The name Fernando became popular in Spain after the reign of King Fernando III of Castile and Leon in the 13th century.
The surname Fernandez is a patronymic name, meaning "son of Fernando." It was formed by adding the Spanish patronymic suffix "-ez" to the name Fernando. This naming convention was common in medieval Spain and other parts of the Iberian Peninsula, where surnames were often derived from the father's given name.
The Fernandez surname can be traced back to various regions of Spain, particularly in the northern and central areas, such as Galicia, Asturias, Castile, and Aragon. It was also prominent in the Canary Islands, which were conquered by the Spanish in the 15th century.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Fernandez surname can be found in the Becerro de las Behetrías, a medieval census document from the 14th century that listed landowners and their properties in Castile. The name Fernandez appears numerous times in this document, indicating its widespread use at the time.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the Fernandez surname. One of the most famous was Fernán González, a 10th-century count of Castile, who was instrumental in the region's struggle for independence from the Kingdom of León. Another notable figure was Hernando de Soto (c. 1496-1542), a Spanish explorer and conquistador who led the first European expedition to cross the Mississippi River in what is now the United States.
In the realm of art and literature, Juan Fernández de Heredia (c. 1310-1396) was a prominent Aragonese writer and translator, known for his contributions to the development of the Aragonese language. Pedro Fernández de Quiñones (c. 1470-1532) was a Spanish poet and playwright during the Spanish Renaissance.
In the field of science, Gonzalo Fernández de Oviedo y Valdés (1478-1557) was a Spanish historian and naturalist who wrote extensively about the natural history of the West Indies. Francisco Fernández de Córdoba (1475-1526) was a Spanish conquistador and explorer who played a significant role in the conquest of Mexico under Hernán Cortés.
These are just a few examples of the many notable individuals who have carried the Fernandez surname throughout history, reflecting its deep roots and cultural significance in the Spanish-speaking world.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Fernandez
Among Census respondents with the surname Fernandez, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 83.8%. The next largest groups are White (7.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (5.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Fernandez 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 Fernandez surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino83.8% · 155,278
- White7.9% · 14,657
- Asian and Pacific Islander5.9% · 10,914
- Black or African American1.2% · 2,215
- Two or more races1.0% · 1,935
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 353
Timeline
Historical Census data for Fernandez
Fernandez 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
#142
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 180,842
+41,540 bearers (+29.8%)
Per 100,000 61.31
Rank movement Up 36 places
2020
#134
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 185,352
+4,510 bearers (+2.5%)
Per 100,000 62.01
Rank movement Up 8 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #178 | 139,302 | 51.64 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #142 | 180,842 | 61.31 | +41,540 bearers (+29.8%) | Up 36 places |
| 2020 | #134 | 185,352 | 62.01 | +4,510 bearers (+2.5%) | Up 8 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 Fernandez 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 | #142 | #134 | 5.6% |
| Count | 180,842 | 185,352 | 2.5% |
| Per 100K | 61.31 | 62.01 | 1.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Fernandez bearers went from 180,842 to 185,352 (+2.5% change). The surname moved up 8 positions in the national ranking, going from #142 to #134.
FAQ
Fernandez surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Fernandez?
Name Census estimates that about 212,548 living Americans carry the surname Fernandez. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,613 residents.
How common is Fernandez?
Fernandez ranks #134 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Common." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 62.01 per 100,000 residents, which is about 62 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 185,352 people with the surname Fernandez. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (212,548), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 62.01 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 62.01 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 62 of them to have the surname Fernandez.
Has Fernandez become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Fernandez went from 180,842 recorded bearers to 185,352. That is an increase of 4,510 (+2.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #142 to #134.
What does the Census say about the background of Fernandez?
Among Census respondents with the surname Fernandez, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 83.8%. The next largest groups are White (7.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (5.9%). 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 Fernandez in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.8% (155,278 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Fernandez appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (83.8%), White (7.9%), Asian/Pacific Islander (5.9%). 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 Fernandez (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 Fernandez mean?
A patronymic surname meaning "son of Fernando," a Spanish and Portuguese name derived from the Germanic name Ferdinand. 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 Fernandez (62.01 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 Fernandez?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many Americans have the surname Fernandez at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.