2000
#16,688
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,579
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.59
Rare Last name
Fuerte
A Spanish surname meaning "strong," "fierce," or "mighty," likely referring to a person with these qualities.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,695 Americans carry the last name Fuerte. That puts it at #12,575 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.79 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 127,182 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Fuerte 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
2.7K
1 in 127,182
Census rank
#12,575
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,350 bearers of the surname Fuerte in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.79 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12575th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Fuerte, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 85.0%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (9.7%) and White (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Fuerte
The surname FUERTE originated in Spain during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Spanish word "fuerte," which means "strong" or "fortified." This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who was known for their physical strength or perhaps lived near a fortified structure or castle.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the FUERTE surname can be found in the Becerro de las Behetrías, a medieval census document from the 14th century. This record lists several individuals with the surname FUERTE residing in various towns and villages across northern Spain.
In the 15th century, the FUERTE surname appeared in the archives of the Kingdom of Aragon, which included parts of present-day Spain and the Mediterranean coast. One notable individual from this time was Juana FUERTE, a landowner and benefactor who donated funds for the construction of a chapel in the town of Zaragoza in 1467.
During the 16th century, several members of the FUERTE family served in the Spanish military and participated in the conquest of the Americas. One such individual was Pedro FUERTE, a conquistador who accompanied Hernán Cortés in the conquest of Mexico in the 1520s.
In the 17th century, the FUERTE name appeared in various regions of Spain, including Andalusia and Castile. One prominent figure was Diego FUERTE, a poet and playwright born in Seville in 1632, who wrote several works that were performed in the royal court of King Philip IV.
As the Spanish Empire expanded, the FUERTE surname spread to other parts of the world, including the Americas and the Philippines. In the 18th century, Juan FUERTE, a soldier from Galicia, served in the Spanish colonial government in Cuba and held the position of mayor in Havana in 1772.
Throughout history, the FUERTE surname has been associated with individuals from various walks of life, including soldiers, landowners, artists, and government officials. While the name has its origins in Spain, it has since become well-established in many Spanish-speaking countries and communities around the world.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Fuerte
Among Census respondents with the surname Fuerte, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 85.0%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (9.7%) and White (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Fuerte 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 Fuerte surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino85.0% · 1,998
- Asian and Pacific Islander9.7% · 228
- White3.6% · 85
- Two or more races1.3% · 30
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 6
- Black or African American0.1% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Fuerte
Fuerte 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
#12,744
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,422
+843 bearers (+53.4%)
Per 100,000 0.82
Rank movement Up 3,944 places
2020
#12,575
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,350
-72 bearers (-3.0%)
Per 100,000 0.79
Rank movement Up 169 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #16,688 | 1,579 | 0.59 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,744 | 2,422 | 0.82 | +843 bearers (+53.4%) | Up 3,944 places |
| 2020 | #12,575 | 2,350 | 0.79 | -72 bearers (-3.0%) | Up 169 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 Fuerte 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 | #12,744 | #12,575 | 1.3% |
| Count | 2,422 | 2,350 | -3.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.82 | 0.79 | -4.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Fuerte bearers went from 2,422 to 2,350 (-3.0% change). The surname moved up 169 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,744 to #12,575.
FAQ
Fuerte surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Fuerte?
Name Census estimates that about 2,695 living Americans carry the surname Fuerte. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 127,182 residents.
How common is Fuerte?
Fuerte ranks #12,575 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.79 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 2,350 people with the surname Fuerte. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,695), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.79 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.79 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 Fuerte.
Has Fuerte become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Fuerte went from 2,422 recorded bearers to 2,350. That is a decrease of 72 (-3.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #12,744 to #12,575.
What does the Census say about the background of Fuerte?
Among Census respondents with the surname Fuerte, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 85.0%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (9.7%) and White (3.6%). 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 Fuerte in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.0% (1,998 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Fuerte appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (85.0%), Asian/Pacific Islander (9.7%), White (3.6%). 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 Fuerte (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 Fuerte mean?
A Spanish surname meaning "strong," "fierce," or "mighty," likely referring to a person with these qualities. 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 Fuerte (0.79 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 Fuerte?
If you just want to know how many Americans have the surname Fuerte, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.