2000
#6,563
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,763
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.77
Rare Last name
Hermosillo
A habitational surname referring to someone from Hermosillo, Mexico, derived from the Spanish word "hermoso" meaning "beautiful."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 7,021 Americans carry the last name Hermosillo. That puts it at #5,482 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.05 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 48,818 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hermosillo 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
7.0K
1 in 48,818
Census rank
#5,482
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,123 bearers of the surname Hermosillo in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.05 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5482nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hermosillo, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 93.7%. The next largest groups are White (5.4%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hermosillo
The surname Hermosillo originates from Mexico, with roots dating back to the 16th century during the Spanish colonization of the Americas. It is derived from the Spanish words "hermoso," meaning beautiful, and "silla," meaning saddle or seat. This combination suggests the name may have initially referred to a scenic or picturesque location, possibly a town or settlement nestled amidst natural beauty.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Hermosillo can be found in the archives of the Spanish Inquisition, where a certain Juan de Hermosillo was mentioned in a document from 1576. This Juan de Hermosillo was a resident of the town of Culiacán, in what is now the state of Sinaloa, Mexico.
The name Hermosillo is closely tied to the city of the same name, which is the capital of the state of Sonora in northwestern Mexico. The city's name can be traced back to the 17th century, when it was known as Presidio de San Pedro de la Conquista de Pitic, or simply Pitic. It was later renamed Hermosillo in honor of José María Gonzalez Hermosillo, a prominent military officer and politician who played a significant role in the Mexican War of Independence.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Hermosillo was Francisco Antonio Hermosillo y García de León (1722-1796), a Spanish military officer and governor of the Californias. He served as the governor of the Baja California peninsula from 1768 to 1779.
Another notable figure was José María Gonzalez Hermosillo (1786-1831), after whom the city of Hermosillo was named. He was a Mexican military officer and politician who fought in the Mexican War of Independence and later served as the governor of the state of Sonora.
In the late 19th century, Manuel González Hermosillo (1835-1901) was a prominent Mexican lawyer, politician, and writer. He served as a senator and governor of the state of Sonora, and was also a prolific author, publishing works on history, politics, and literature.
More recently, Clementina Guerrero Hermosillo (1906-1998) was a Mexican painter and sculptor known for her works depicting indigenous cultures and traditions. She was a pioneer in the field of Mexican art and played a significant role in promoting and preserving the country's cultural heritage.
Lastly, Ernesto Hermosillo Gómez (1918-1998) was a Mexican film director and screenwriter who made significant contributions to the Golden Age of Mexican cinema. He directed several critically acclaimed films, including "La Puerta y la Mujer del Carnicero" (1968) and "La Mujer de Benjamín" (1991).
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hermosillo
Among Census respondents with the surname Hermosillo, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 93.7%. The next largest groups are White (5.4%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Hermosillo 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 Hermosillo surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino93.7% · 5,740
- White5.4% · 332
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 17
- Two or more races0.3% · 16
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.2% · 10
- Black or African American0.1% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hermosillo
Hermosillo 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
#5,347
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,508
+1,745 bearers (+36.6%)
Per 100,000 2.21
Rank movement Up 1,216 places
2020
#5,482
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,123
-385 bearers (-5.9%)
Per 100,000 2.05
Rank movement Down 135 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,563 | 4,763 | 1.77 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,347 | 6,508 | 2.21 | +1,745 bearers (+36.6%) | Up 1,216 places |
| 2020 | #5,482 | 6,123 | 2.05 | -385 bearers (-5.9%) | Down 135 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 Hermosillo 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 | #5,347 | #5,482 | -2.5% |
| Count | 6,508 | 6,123 | -5.9% |
| Per 100K | 2.21 | 2.05 | -7.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hermosillo bearers went from 6,508 to 6,123 (-5.9% change). The surname moved down 135 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,347 to #5,482.
FAQ
Hermosillo surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hermosillo?
Name Census estimates that about 7,021 living Americans carry the surname Hermosillo. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 48,818 residents.
How common is Hermosillo?
Hermosillo ranks #5,482 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.05 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 6,123 people with the surname Hermosillo. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (7,021), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.05 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.05 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 Hermosillo.
Has Hermosillo become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hermosillo went from 6,508 recorded bearers to 6,123. That is a decrease of 385 (-5.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #5,347 to #5,482.
What does the Census say about the background of Hermosillo?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hermosillo, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 93.7%. The next largest groups are White (5.4%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.3%). 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 Hermosillo in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.7% (5,740 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hermosillo appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (93.7%), White (5.4%), American Indian/Alaska Native (0.3%). 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 Hermosillo (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 Hermosillo mean?
A habitational surname referring to someone from Hermosillo, Mexico, derived from the Spanish word "hermoso" meaning "beautiful." 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 Hermosillo (2.05 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 Hermosillo?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.