2000
#8,363
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,636
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.35
Rare Last name
Gandara
A Spanish toponymic surname indicating someone from the town of Gándara in Galicia, Spain, or a metonymic occupational surname referring to a cattle herder.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,104 Americans carry the last name Gandara. That puts it at #7,231 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.49 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 67,154 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gandara 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
5.1K
1 in 67,154
Census rank
#7,231
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,451 bearers of the surname Gandara in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.49 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7231st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gandara, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 91.6%. The next largest groups are White (6.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gandara
The surname Gandara is of Spanish origin, with its roots traced back to the Iberian Peninsula during the medieval period. The name derives from the word "gándara," which in Galician and Portuguese refers to a shrubby or brushy area, often near a marsh or wetland.
Gandara likely originated as a topographic surname, given to individuals who lived near or were associated with such shrubby or brushy areas. The earliest recorded instances of the name appear in historical documents from the northern regions of Spain, particularly Galicia and Asturias, where the Galician and Portuguese languages were spoken.
One of the earliest known bearers of the Gandara surname was Pedro de Gandara, a nobleman who lived in the 14th century and was mentioned in the records of the Kingdom of Castile. Another early figure was Rodrigo de Gandara, a soldier who fought in the Reconquista, the prolonged campaign to retake the Iberian Peninsula from Moorish rule, during the 15th century.
In the 16th century, the Gandara surname gained prominence with the life of Diego de Gandara y Aragón, a Spanish military commander and colonial administrator who served as the Governor of the Captaincy General of Guatemala from 1595 to 1601. His tenure was marked by his efforts to establish Spanish control over the region and quell indigenous uprisings.
Another notable figure was Francisco de Gandara y Paz, a Spanish prelate who lived in the 17th century and served as the Bishop of Guadix and Baza, two neighboring dioceses in Andalusia, from 1617 to 1638. He is remembered for his efforts to promote education and religious instruction in his bishopric.
In the 18th century, José de Gandara y Salazar, a Spanish military engineer and architect, made significant contributions to the field of fortification design. He is best known for his work on the fortifications of Cartagena de Indias, a strategically important port city in present-day Colombia.
As the centuries passed, the Gandara surname spread throughout Spain and its colonies, with many individuals bearing the name migrating to the Americas and other regions of the Spanish Empire. Today, the name can be found in various Spanish-speaking countries, though it remains most prevalent in Spain and Latin American nations with strong Spanish cultural influences.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gandara
Among Census respondents with the surname Gandara, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 91.6%. The next largest groups are White (6.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Gandara 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 Gandara surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino91.6% · 4,075
- White6.8% · 302
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 24
- Black or African American0.4% · 20
- Two or more races0.4% · 17
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 13
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gandara
Gandara 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
#7,044
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,754
+1,118 bearers (+30.7%)
Per 100,000 1.61
Rank movement Up 1,319 places
2020
#7,231
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,451
-303 bearers (-6.4%)
Per 100,000 1.49
Rank movement Down 187 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,363 | 3,636 | 1.35 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,044 | 4,754 | 1.61 | +1,118 bearers (+30.7%) | Up 1,319 places |
| 2020 | #7,231 | 4,451 | 1.49 | -303 bearers (-6.4%) | Down 187 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 Gandara 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 | #7,044 | #7,231 | -2.7% |
| Count | 4,754 | 4,451 | -6.4% |
| Per 100K | 1.61 | 1.49 | -7.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gandara bearers went from 4,754 to 4,451 (-6.4% change). The surname moved down 187 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,044 to #7,231.
FAQ
Gandara surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gandara?
Name Census estimates that about 5,104 living Americans carry the surname Gandara. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 67,154 residents.
How common is Gandara?
Gandara ranks #7,231 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.49 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 4,451 people with the surname Gandara. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,104), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.49 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.49 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 Gandara.
Has Gandara become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gandara went from 4,754 recorded bearers to 4,451. That is a decrease of 303 (-6.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,044 to #7,231.
What does the Census say about the background of Gandara?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gandara, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 91.6%. The next largest groups are White (6.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.5%). 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 Gandara in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.6% (4,075 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gandara appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (91.6%), White (6.8%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.5%). 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 Gandara (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 Gandara mean?
A Spanish toponymic surname indicating someone from the town of Gándara in Galicia, Spain, or a metonymic occupational surname referring to a cattle herder. 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 Gandara (1.49 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 Gandara?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.