2000
#8,490
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,574
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.32
Rare Last name
Funes
Derived from a place name referring to a type of rope made from esparto grass or a spring.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 7,354 Americans carry the last name Funes. That puts it at #5,250 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.15 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 46,608 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Funes 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
7.4K
1 in 46,608
Census rank
#5,250
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,413 bearers of the surname Funes in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.15 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5250th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Funes, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 94.3%. The next largest groups are White (4.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Funes
The surname Funes is of Spanish origin, tracing its roots back to the medieval period in the Iberian Peninsula. It is believed to derive from the Latin word "funis," meaning "rope" or "cord," suggesting a possible occupational connection to rope-makers or those involved in related trades.
Historically, the name Funes can be found scattered across various regions of Spain, particularly in areas like Andalusia, Castile, and Aragon. One of the earliest documented references to the surname is in the Libro de Repartimiento de Sevilla, a 13th-century record detailing the distribution of land and properties in the city of Seville after its reconquest from the Moors.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, as Spanish exploration and colonization expanded across the Americas, the Funes surname made its way to the New World. Notably, Juan Funes, a Spanish soldier and explorer, was among the early settlers in the region of present-day Argentina, establishing himself in the city of Córdoba around 1573.
The name Funes also appears in historical records related to the Spanish Inquisition, with mentions of individuals bearing this surname among those tried or persecuted during this tumultuous period of religious intolerance in the 15th and 16th centuries.
Notable figures with the surname Funes include:
1. Gregorio Funes (1749-1829), an Argentine priest, historian, and politician who played a significant role in the early years of Argentine independence.
2. Juan José Funes (1771-1846), a Spanish lawyer and politician who served as the Prime Minister of Spain in 1837-1838.
3. Benito Funes (1805-1885), a Mexican general and politician who fought in the Mexican-American War and later served as the Governor of Coahuila.
4. Salvador Funes (1856-1923), a Chilean writer and journalist known for his literary works and contributions to the development of Chilean literature.
5. Jorge Luis Borges' fictional character Ireneo Funes, the protagonist of the short story "Funes the Memorious," who possessed an extraordinary memory.
While the surname Funes has its origins in Spain and has spread across various parts of the world, it remains a testament to the rich tapestry of cultural and linguistic influences that have shaped the diverse surnames we encounter today.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Funes
Among Census respondents with the surname Funes, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 94.3%. The next largest groups are White (4.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Funes 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 Funes surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino94.3% · 6,046
- White4.3% · 277
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 36
- Black or African American0.4% · 23
- Two or more races0.3% · 17
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 14
Timeline
Historical Census data for Funes
Funes 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
#5,702
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,079
+2,505 bearers (+70.1%)
Per 100,000 2.06
Rank movement Up 2,788 places
2020
#5,250
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,413
+334 bearers (+5.5%)
Per 100,000 2.15
Rank movement Up 452 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,490 | 3,574 | 1.32 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,702 | 6,079 | 2.06 | +2,505 bearers (+70.1%) | Up 2,788 places |
| 2020 | #5,250 | 6,413 | 2.15 | +334 bearers (+5.5%) | Up 452 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 Funes 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 | #5,702 | #5,250 | 7.9% |
| Count | 6,079 | 6,413 | 5.5% |
| Per 100K | 2.06 | 2.15 | 4.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Funes bearers went from 6,079 to 6,413 (+5.5% change). The surname moved up 452 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,702 to #5,250.
FAQ
Funes surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Funes?
Name Census estimates that about 7,354 living Americans carry the surname Funes. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 46,608 residents.
How common is Funes?
Funes ranks #5,250 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.15 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 6,413 people with the surname Funes. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (7,354), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.15 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.15 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Funes.
Has Funes become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Funes went from 6,079 recorded bearers to 6,413. That is an increase of 334 (+5.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #5,702 to #5,250.
What does the Census say about the background of Funes?
Among Census respondents with the surname Funes, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 94.3%. The next largest groups are White (4.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.6%). 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 Funes in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.3% (6,046 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Funes appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (94.3%), White (4.3%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.6%). 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 Funes (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 Funes mean?
Derived from a place name referring to a type of rope made from esparto grass or a spring. 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 Funes (2.15 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 Funes?
If you just want to know how many Americans have the surname Funes, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.