2000
#18,135
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,416
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.52
Rare Last name
Graciano
An Italian surname derived from the Latin word "gratianus," meaning "grace" or "kindness."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,115 Americans carry the last name Graciano. That puts it at #11,150 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.91 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 110,033 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Graciano 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
3.1K
1 in 110,033
Census rank
#11,150
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,716 bearers of the surname Graciano in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.91 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11150th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Graciano, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 90.7%. The next largest groups are White (7.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Graciano
The surname Graciano is believed to have originated in Spain during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Latin name Gratianus, which means "grace" or "favor." The earliest known references to this name can be traced back to the 10th century in the region of Castile, where it was often used as a given name.
During the 11th and 12th centuries, the Graciano surname began to appear in various historical records and documents across the Iberian Peninsula. One notable mention is found in the Becerro de las Behetrias, a medieval Spanish manuscript that recorded the names of landowners and their properties.
As the Reconquista progressed, and the Christian kingdoms of Spain expanded their territories, the Graciano name spread to other regions such as Andalusia and Valencia. It was particularly prevalent among noble families and members of the emerging middle class.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the Graciano surname was Pedro Graciano, a prominent jurist and canonist who lived in the 12th century. His work, known as the "Decretum Gratiani," was a significant contribution to canon law and became a foundational text for the study of church law.
Another notable figure was Juan Graciano, a Spanish explorer and conquistador who participated in the expeditions of Hernán Cortés in the early 16th century. He played a crucial role in the conquest of Mexico and later served as a colonial administrator in New Spain.
In the 17th century, the Graciano family produced several notable individuals, including Diego Graciano de Alderete, a Spanish poet and playwright, and Baltasar Gracián y Morales, a renowned Jesuit philosopher and writer whose works, such as "El Criticón" and "Oráculo Manual y Arte de Prudencia," were widely influential during the Spanish Golden Age.
During the 18th and 19th centuries, the Graciano surname continued to be prominent in Spain, with many individuals holding positions of importance in various fields, including politics, the military, and the Church. One notable figure was Mariano Graciano, a Spanish general who played a significant role in the Peninsular War against the French Empire.
As the Spanish Empire expanded across the Americas, the Graciano surname also took root in various colonies, particularly in Mexico, Peru, and Argentina. Today, the Graciano name can be found in many Spanish-speaking countries around the world, reflecting its rich historical heritage and widespread distribution.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Graciano
Among Census respondents with the surname Graciano, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 90.7%. The next largest groups are White (7.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Graciano 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 Graciano surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino90.7% · 2,464
- White7.8% · 211
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 17
- Two or more races0.4% · 10
- Black or African American0.3% · 9
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Graciano
Graciano 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
#13,440
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,266
+850 bearers (+60.0%)
Per 100,000 0.77
Rank movement Up 4,695 places
2020
#11,150
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,716
+450 bearers (+19.9%)
Per 100,000 0.91
Rank movement Up 2,290 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #18,135 | 1,416 | 0.52 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,440 | 2,266 | 0.77 | +850 bearers (+60.0%) | Up 4,695 places |
| 2020 | #11,150 | 2,716 | 0.91 | +450 bearers (+19.9%) | Up 2,290 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 Graciano 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 | #13,440 | #11,150 | 17.0% |
| Count | 2,266 | 2,716 | 19.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.77 | 0.91 | 18.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Graciano bearers went from 2,266 to 2,716 (+19.9% change). The surname moved up 2,290 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,440 to #11,150.
FAQ
Graciano surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Graciano?
Name Census estimates that about 3,115 living Americans carry the surname Graciano. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 110,033 residents.
How common is Graciano?
Graciano ranks #11,150 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.91 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 2,716 people with the surname Graciano. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,115), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.91 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.91 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 Graciano.
Has Graciano become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Graciano went from 2,266 recorded bearers to 2,716. That is an increase of 450 (+19.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #13,440 to #11,150.
What does the Census say about the background of Graciano?
Among Census respondents with the surname Graciano, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 90.7%. The next largest groups are White (7.8%) 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 Graciano in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.7% (2,464 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Graciano appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (90.7%), White (7.8%), 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 Graciano (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 Graciano mean?
An Italian surname derived from the Latin word "gratianus," meaning "grace" or "kindness." 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 Graciano (0.91 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 share the surname Graciano?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.