2000
#4,118
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,975
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.96
Uncommon Last name
Iglesias
Spanish topographic surname indicating someone who lived near a church or derived from the Spanish word for "churches."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 12,062 Americans carry the last name Iglesias. That puts it at #3,344 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.52 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 28,416 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Iglesias 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 Iglesias with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
12K
1 in 28,416
Census rank
#3,344
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
11K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 10,519 bearers of the surname Iglesias in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.52 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3344th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Iglesias, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 87.6%. The next largest groups are White (7.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Iglesias
The surname Iglesias is of Spanish origin and derives from the word "iglesia," which means "church" in Spanish. This surname likely originated during the medieval period in Spain, and it was initially used to identify individuals who lived near a church or were associated with a particular church or religious institution.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname Iglesias can be traced back to the 13th and 14th centuries in various regions of Spain, including Castile, Aragon, and Catalonia. Some of the earliest known bearers of this surname were individuals who held positions within the church, such as priests or clergymen.
One notable early bearer of the surname Iglesias was Juan de Iglesias, a Spanish theologian and philosopher who lived in the 15th century. He was a prominent figure in the intellectual circles of his time and authored several works on theology and philosophy.
In the 16th century, the surname Iglesias was also found in various historical records and documents, such as land registries and census records. For instance, in the town of Aldea del Obispo, located in the province of Salamanca, there are records of families with the surname Iglesias dating back to the mid-16th century.
During the colonial era, many Spaniards with the surname Iglesias migrated to the Americas, particularly to regions that were under Spanish rule. This led to the spread and establishment of the surname in countries like Mexico, Argentina, and Chile.
One notable individual with the surname Iglesias was José María Iglesias, a Mexican politician and writer who lived in the 19th century (1823-1891). He served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Minister of Justice during the presidency of Benito Juárez.
Another prominent figure with this surname was Enrique Iglesias, a Spanish-born Uruguayan writer and political figure who lived from 1886 to 1968. He was a prominent figure in the Uruguayan literary scene and served as the President of Uruguay from 1959 to 1963.
In more recent history, the surname Iglesias has been associated with several notable individuals, including the Spanish singer Enrique Iglesias (born in 1975), who is the son of the famous Spanish singer Julio Iglesias (born in 1943).
Additionally, Pablo Iglesias Posse (1850-1925) was a Spanish politician and lawyer who founded the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) and played a significant role in the development of the socialist movement in Spain.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Iglesias
Among Census respondents with the surname Iglesias, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 87.6%. The next largest groups are White (7.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Iglesias 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 Iglesias surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino87.6% · 9,213
- White7.8% · 818
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.4% · 353
- Black or African American0.7% · 77
- Two or more races0.5% · 50
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Iglesias
Iglesias 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
#3,387
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,546
+2,571 bearers (+32.2%)
Per 100,000 3.58
Rank movement Up 731 places
2020
#3,344
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,519
-27 bearers (-0.3%)
Per 100,000 3.52
Rank movement Up 43 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,118 | 7,975 | 2.96 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,387 | 10,546 | 3.58 | +2,571 bearers (+32.2%) | Up 731 places |
| 2020 | #3,344 | 10,519 | 3.52 | -27 bearers (-0.3%) | Up 43 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 Iglesias 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 | #3,387 | #3,344 | 1.3% |
| Count | 10,546 | 10,519 | -0.3% |
| Per 100K | 3.58 | 3.52 | -1.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Iglesias bearers went from 10,546 to 10,519 (-0.3% change). The surname moved up 43 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,387 to #3,344.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Iglesias
FAQ
Iglesias surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Iglesias?
Name Census estimates that about 12,062 living Americans carry the surname Iglesias. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 28,416 residents.
How common is Iglesias?
Iglesias ranks #3,344 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.52 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 10,519 people with the surname Iglesias. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (12,062), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.52 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.52 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Iglesias.
Has Iglesias become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Iglesias went from 10,546 recorded bearers to 10,519. That is a decrease of 27 (-0.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #3,387 to #3,344.
What does the Census say about the background of Iglesias?
Among Census respondents with the surname Iglesias, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 87.6%. The next largest groups are White (7.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.4%). 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 Iglesias in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.6% (9,213 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Iglesias appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (87.6%), White (7.8%), Asian/Pacific Islander (3.4%). 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 Iglesias (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 Iglesias mean?
Spanish topographic surname indicating someone who lived near a church or derived from the Spanish word for "churches." 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 Iglesias (3.52 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 Iglesias?
You can see how many people have the surname Iglesias on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.