2000
#175
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 140,786
First available Census row
Per 100,000 52.19
Common Last name
Herrera
A Spanish toponymic surname referring to someone who lived near an area of blackberry bushes or brambles.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 214,263 Americans carry the last name Herrera. That puts it at #131 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 62.51 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,600 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Herrera 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Herrera with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
214K
1 in 1,600
Census rank
#131
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
62.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
187K
common in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 186,848 bearers of the surname Herrera in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 62.51 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 131st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Herrera, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 92.2%. The next largest groups are White (5.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Herrera
The surname Herrera has its origins in Spain, with the earliest recorded instances dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Spanish word "herrero," which means "blacksmith" or "ironsmith." This suggests that the surname was initially given to those who worked in the trade of smithing or metallurgy.
The name first appeared in various regions of Spain, particularly in areas such as Castile, Aragon, and Andalusia, where the production of iron and metalwork was prevalent. As the name spread across the Iberian Peninsula and beyond, it underwent minor spelling variations, including Ferrera and Ferreiro, reflecting regional linguistic differences.
One of the earliest known references to the Herrera surname can be found in the "Libro de las Behetrías," a medieval manuscript compiled in the late 14th century, which documented landowners and their properties in the regions of Castile and León.
In the 15th century, a prominent figure bearing the Herrera surname was Enrique de Herrera, a renowned Spanish architect and sculptor who played a significant role in the construction of the Granada Cathedral and the Monastery of San Jerónimo in Granada.
During the 16th century, Juan de Herrera (1530-1597) was a notable Spanish Renaissance architect and mathematician. He served as the royal architect to King Philip II of Spain and was responsible for the design of several important buildings, including the Monastery of El Escorial, which is considered one of the most important architectural works of the Spanish Renaissance.
In the 17th century, José de Herrera (1619-1682) was a Spanish historian and military writer. He authored several influential works, including "Historia General del Mundo," a comprehensive history of the world from ancient times to the 17th century.
Another notable figure with the Herrera surname was José Joaquín de Herrera (1792-1854), a Mexican politician and military officer who served as the President of Mexico from 1845 to 1851. He played a crucial role in the Mexican-American War and the reforms that followed.
Francisco de Herrera "El Viejo" (1576-1656) was a prominent Spanish Golden Age painter, known for his religious and mythological works. He was a leading figure in the Sevillan school of painting and is considered one of the most influential artists of the Baroque period in Spain.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Herrera
Among Census respondents with the surname Herrera, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 92.2%. The next largest groups are White (5.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Herrera 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 Herrera surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino92.2% · 172,357
- White5.3% · 9,821
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 2,116
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 1,091
- Black or African American0.4% · 745
- Two or more races0.4% · 718
Timeline
Historical Census data for Herrera
Herrera 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
#129
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 192,711
+51,925 bearers (+36.9%)
Per 100,000 65.33
Rank movement Up 46 places
2020
#131
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 186,848
-5,863 bearers (-3.0%)
Per 100,000 62.51
Rank movement Down 2 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #175 | 140,786 | 52.19 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #129 | 192,711 | 65.33 | +51,925 bearers (+36.9%) | Up 46 places |
| 2020 | #131 | 186,848 | 62.51 | -5,863 bearers (-3.0%) | Down 2 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 Herrera 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 | #129 | #131 | -1.6% |
| Count | 192,711 | 186,848 | -3.0% |
| Per 100K | 65.33 | 62.51 | -4.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Herrera bearers went from 192,711 to 186,848 (-3.0% change). The surname moved down 2 positions in the national ranking, going from #129 to #131.
FAQ
Herrera surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Herrera?
Name Census estimates that about 214,263 living Americans carry the surname Herrera. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,600 residents.
How common is Herrera?
Herrera ranks #131 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Common." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 62.51 per 100,000 residents, which is about 63 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 186,848 people with the surname Herrera. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (214,263), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 62.51 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 62.51 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 63 of them to have the surname Herrera.
Has Herrera become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Herrera went from 192,711 recorded bearers to 186,848. That is a decrease of 5,863 (-3.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #129 to #131.
What does the Census say about the background of Herrera?
Among Census respondents with the surname Herrera, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 92.2%. The next largest groups are White (5.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.1%). 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 Herrera in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.2% (172,357 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Herrera appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (92.2%), White (5.3%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.1%). 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 Herrera (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 Herrera mean?
A Spanish toponymic surname referring to someone who lived near an area of blackberry bushes or brambles. 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 Herrera (62.51 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 common is the surname Herrera?
If you just want to know how many people are called Herrera, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.