2000
#9,907
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,004
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.11
Rare Last name
Gordillo
A Spanish surname derived from the word "gordillo," meaning "plump" or "chubby," likely referring to a stout person.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,033 Americans carry the last name Gordillo. That puts it at #7,320 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.47 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 68,101 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gordillo 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
5.0K
1 in 68,101
Census rank
#7,320
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,389 bearers of the surname Gordillo in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.47 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7320th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gordillo, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 93.7%. The next largest groups are White (5.2%) and Black (0.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gordillo
The surname Gordillo originates from Spain, with its earliest recorded instances dating back to the 11th century. The name is derived from the Spanish word "gordo," meaning "fat" or "thick," and the diminutive suffix "-illo," suggesting a small or diminutive form. This combination likely referred to a physical characteristic of an early bearer of the name.
During the Reconquista period in Spain, the surname Gordillo began appearing in various regions, particularly in Andalusia and Extremadura. It was documented in medieval records, such as the Cartularios de Valpuesta and the Becerro de las Behetrías de Castilla, indicating its widespread usage among Spanish families.
One of the earliest known bearers of the Gordillo surname was Rodrigo Gordillo, a nobleman from Seville who lived in the 13th century. He served as an adviser to King Alfonso X and was mentioned in the king's chronicles for his contributions to the court.
Another notable figure was Juan Gordillo, a 15th-century explorer and navigator from Seville. He accompanied Christopher Columbus on his second voyage to the Americas in 1493 and is credited with being one of the first Europeans to set foot on the island of Puerto Rico.
In the 16th century, the Gordillo surname was associated with the Spanish conquest of the Americas. Pedro Gordillo, born in 1502 in Seville, was a conquistador who participated in the conquest of Peru under Francisco Pizarro. He later became a prominent landowner and colonial administrator in the Viceroyalty of Peru.
During the 17th century, the Gordillo family established itself in various regions of Spain, including Castile and Aragon. One prominent member was Diego Gordillo, a Jesuit priest and scholar born in 1605 in Córdoba. He was renowned for his contributions to theology and philosophy, and his works were widely studied in academic circles.
In the 18th century, José Gordillo y Navarro, born in 1736 in Cádiz, achieved fame as a painter and engraver. He was renowned for his religious and historical paintings, many of which can be found in churches and museums across Spain.
As the Spanish Empire expanded, the Gordillo surname spread to Spanish territories in the Americas, particularly in Mexico, Peru, and Argentina. Over the centuries, individuals bearing this surname have made notable contributions in various fields, including literature, art, and politics.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gordillo
Among Census respondents with the surname Gordillo, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 93.7%. The next largest groups are White (5.2%) and Black (0.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Gordillo 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 Gordillo surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino93.7% · 4,114
- White5.2% · 230
- Black or African American0.4% · 17
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 16
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 6
- Two or more races0.1% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gordillo
Gordillo 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
#7,232
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,616
+1,612 bearers (+53.7%)
Per 100,000 1.56
Rank movement Up 2,675 places
2020
#7,320
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,389
-227 bearers (-4.9%)
Per 100,000 1.47
Rank movement Down 88 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,907 | 3,004 | 1.11 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,232 | 4,616 | 1.56 | +1,612 bearers (+53.7%) | Up 2,675 places |
| 2020 | #7,320 | 4,389 | 1.47 | -227 bearers (-4.9%) | Down 88 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 Gordillo 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 | #7,232 | #7,320 | -1.2% |
| Count | 4,616 | 4,389 | -4.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.56 | 1.47 | -5.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gordillo bearers went from 4,616 to 4,389 (-4.9% change). The surname moved down 88 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,232 to #7,320.
FAQ
Gordillo surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gordillo?
Name Census estimates that about 5,033 living Americans carry the surname Gordillo. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 68,101 residents.
How common is Gordillo?
Gordillo ranks #7,320 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.47 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 4,389 people with the surname Gordillo. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,033), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.47 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.47 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 Gordillo.
Has Gordillo become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gordillo went from 4,616 recorded bearers to 4,389. That is a decrease of 227 (-4.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,232 to #7,320.
What does the Census say about the background of Gordillo?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gordillo, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 93.7%. The next largest groups are White (5.2%) and Black (0.4%). 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 Gordillo in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.7% (4,114 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gordillo appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (93.7%), White (5.2%), Black (0.4%). 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 Gordillo (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 Gordillo mean?
A Spanish surname derived from the word "gordillo," meaning "plump" or "chubby," likely referring to a stout person. 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 Gordillo (1.47 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 Gordillo?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.