2000
#3,856
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,467
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.14
Uncommon Last name
Infante
A Spanish and Portuguese surname referring to a royal prince or the heir to the throne.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 13,031 Americans carry the last name Infante. That puts it at #3,087 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.80 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 26,303 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Infante 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
13K
1 in 26,303
Census rank
#3,087
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
11K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 11,364 bearers of the surname Infante in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.80 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3087th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Infante, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 80.7%. The next largest groups are White (13.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Infante
The surname Infante has its origins in Spain, emerging during the medieval period. It is derived from the Spanish word "infante," meaning "infant" or "child," specifically referring to the children of Spanish royalty. The name's roots can be traced back to the 11th century and the establishment of the Kingdom of Castile.
During the Reconquista, the period when Christian kingdoms in the Iberian Peninsula fought to reclaim territories from the Moors, the term "infante" became associated with the royal titles given to the sons and daughters of Spanish kings and queens. These royal infantes often played significant roles in military campaigns and governing conquered territories.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Infante can be found in the Libro de las Estampas, a 13th-century Spanish manuscript that documented notable individuals and events. This manuscript mentions several individuals bearing the surname Infante, suggesting its widespread use among the Spanish nobility at the time.
Throughout the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, the Infante surname was closely tied to the Spanish monarchy and was often bestowed upon individuals with connections to the royal family. Notable historical figures with this surname include:
1. Infante Juan de Aragón (1350-1396), a Spanish prince and military leader who fought against the Moors during the Reconquista.
2. Infante Fernando de Antequera (1380-1416), a Spanish prince who became the King of Aragon and played a pivotal role in the unification of the Iberian kingdoms.
3. Infante Enrique de Aragón (1384-1445), a Spanish prince and Duke of Villena, known for his patronage of the arts and literature.
4. Infante Alfonso de Aragón (1396-1458), a Spanish prince and military commander who fought in various conflicts, including the Conquest of Naples.
5. Infante Juan de Castilla (1462-1497), a Spanish prince and son of King Henry IV of Castile, who was briefly considered as a potential heir to the throne.
As the Spanish Empire expanded across the Americas and other parts of the world, the Infante surname was carried by settlers and conquistadors, establishing new branches of the family in various regions. In some instances, the surname evolved into different spellings, such as Infanti or Infantino, reflecting local linguistic variations.
While the surname Infante may have originated from a connection to Spanish royalty, it eventually became more widely adopted by individuals without direct ties to the monarchy. However, its historical association with the Spanish nobility and the Reconquista era remains a significant part of its legacy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Infante
Among Census respondents with the surname Infante, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 80.7%. The next largest groups are White (13.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Infante 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 Infante surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino80.7% · 9,175
- White13.5% · 1,538
- Asian and Pacific Islander4.3% · 493
- Two or more races0.7% · 81
- Black or African American0.5% · 55
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 22
Timeline
Historical Census data for Infante
Infante 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
#3,252
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,102
+2,635 bearers (+31.1%)
Per 100,000 3.76
Rank movement Up 604 places
2020
#3,087
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,364
+262 bearers (+2.4%)
Per 100,000 3.80
Rank movement Up 165 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,856 | 8,467 | 3.14 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,252 | 11,102 | 3.76 | +2,635 bearers (+31.1%) | Up 604 places |
| 2020 | #3,087 | 11,364 | 3.80 | +262 bearers (+2.4%) | Up 165 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 Infante 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 | #3,252 | #3,087 | 5.1% |
| Count | 11,102 | 11,364 | 2.4% |
| Per 100K | 3.76 | 3.80 | 1.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Infante bearers went from 11,102 to 11,364 (+2.4% change). The surname moved up 165 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,252 to #3,087.
FAQ
Infante surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Infante?
Name Census estimates that about 13,031 living Americans carry the surname Infante. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 26,303 residents.
How common is Infante?
Infante ranks #3,087 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.80 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 11,364 people with the surname Infante. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (13,031), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.8 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.80 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 Infante.
Has Infante become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Infante went from 11,102 recorded bearers to 11,364. That is an increase of 262 (+2.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #3,252 to #3,087.
What does the Census say about the background of Infante?
Among Census respondents with the surname Infante, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 80.7%. The next largest groups are White (13.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.3%). 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 Infante in the 2020 Census, accounting for 80.7% (9,175 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Infante appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (80.7%), White (13.5%), Asian/Pacific Islander (4.3%). 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 Infante (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 Infante mean?
A Spanish and Portuguese surname referring to a royal prince or the heir to the throne. 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 Infante (3.80 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 are called Infante?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how common the surname Infante is at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.