2000
#142,819
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Huacuja
A surname originating from a place name in Mexico.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Huacuja. That puts it at #141,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,465,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Huacuja 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
139
1 in 2,465,859
Census rank
#141,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
121
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 121 bearers of the surname Huacuja in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 141309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Huacuja, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 95.0%. The next largest groups are White (2.5%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Huacuja
The surname Huacuja has its origins in Mexico, dating back to the 16th century during the Spanish conquest. It is believed to be derived from the Nahuatl language, spoken by the Aztecs and other indigenous groups in central Mexico. The name may have come from the combination of the words "huacalli," meaning wooden box or chest, and "xochitl," meaning flower, suggesting a connection to the cultivation or trade of flowers or plant materials.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the Huacuja name can be found in the archives of the Spanish colonial administration, where it appears in records of land grants and taxation in the region around present-day Mexico City. It is likely that the name was initially associated with individuals or families involved in agricultural or horticultural activities.
In the 17th century, a prominent figure named Juan Huacuja was noted as a successful landowner and farmer in the Valley of Mexico. His descendants continued to hold significant landholdings in the area for several generations.
During the Mexican War of Independence in the early 19th century, a military leader named Francisco Huacuja played a role in the resistance against Spanish rule, leading a group of insurgents in the state of Puebla.
Later in the 19th century, a renowned botanist and horticulturist named María Huacuja made significant contributions to the study and cultivation of native Mexican plant species, publishing several influential works on the subject.
Another notable individual with the Huacuja surname was Emilio Huacuja, a respected journalist and political commentator who lived in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, known for his critical analysis of the Porfirio Díaz regime.
Over time, the Huacuja name has spread to various regions of Mexico and beyond, with descendants of the original bearers of the name continuing to carry it forward. While its precise origins may be difficult to trace with certainty, the Huacuja surname remains a part of Mexico's rich cultural and historical heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Huacuja
Among Census respondents with the surname Huacuja, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 95.0%. The next largest groups are White (2.5%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Huacuja 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 Huacuja surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino95.0% · 115
- White2.5% · 3
- Two or more races1.7% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Huacuja
Huacuja 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
#144,141
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
+8 bearers (+7.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 1,322 places
2020
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
+6 bearers (+5.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 2,832 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #142,819 | 107 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #144,141 | 115 | 0.04 | +8 bearers (+7.5%) | Down 1,322 places |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | +6 bearers (+5.2%) | Up 2,832 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 Huacuja 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 | #144,141 | #141,309 | 2.0% |
| Count | 115 | 121 | 5.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 1.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Huacuja bearers went from 115 to 121 (+5.2% change). The surname moved up 2,832 positions in the national ranking, going from #144,141 to #141,309.
FAQ
Huacuja surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Huacuja?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Huacuja. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Huacuja?
Huacuja ranks #141,309 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 121 people with the surname Huacuja. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (139), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Huacuja.
Has Huacuja become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Huacuja went from 115 recorded bearers to 121. That is an increase of 6 (+5.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #144,141 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Huacuja?
Among Census respondents with the surname Huacuja, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 95.0%. The next largest groups are White (2.5%) and Two or More Races (1.7%). 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 Huacuja in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.0% (115 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Huacuja appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (95.0%), White (2.5%), Two or More Races (1.7%). 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 Huacuja (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 Huacuja mean?
A surname originating from a place name in Mexico. 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 Huacuja (0.04 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 last name Huacuja?
You can see how common the surname Huacuja is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.