2000
#4,435
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,389
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.74
Uncommon Last name
Jose
A Spanish and Portuguese patronymic surname meaning "son of José," a variant of Joseph.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 14,487 Americans carry the last name Jose. That puts it at #2,777 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 4.23 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 23,659 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Jose 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 Jose with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
14K
1 in 23,659
Census rank
#2,777
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
4.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
13K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 12,633 bearers of the surname Jose in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 4.23 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2777th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Jose, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 41.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (36.0%) and White (12.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Jose
The surname Jose is of Spanish origin, derived from the personal name Joseph, which ultimately comes from the Hebrew name Yosef, meaning "he will add" or "he will increase." This name has been popular in Spanish-speaking regions since the introduction of Christianity.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname Jose can be found in medieval Spanish documents from the 13th and 14th centuries. It was particularly prevalent in regions like Andalusia, where the Moorish influence contributed to the popularity of certain names derived from Arabic.
One notable early figure with the surname Jose was Pedro Jose, a 15th-century Spanish explorer and navigator who accompanied Christopher Columbus on his second voyage to the Americas in 1493. He played a crucial role in establishing settlements in the Caribbean.
In the 16th century, the surname Jose gained prominence in various parts of Spain, as well as in Spanish colonies in the Americas. One noteworthy individual was Diego Jose Navarro, a renowned architect who designed several iconic buildings in Mexico City during the colonial era.
As the Spanish Empire expanded, the surname Jose spread to other regions, including the Philippines. One famous bearer of the name was José Rizal (1861-1896), a revered Filipino polymath, writer, and revolutionary who played a pivotal role in the Philippine independence movement against Spanish colonial rule.
In the 19th century, the surname Jose was also found in various parts of Latin America. One prominent figure was José Martí (1853-1895), a Cuban philosopher, poet, and revolutionary who fought for the independence of Cuba from Spain.
Another notable individual with the surname Jose was José Raúl Capablanca (1888-1942), a Cuban chess grandmaster widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time. He held the World Chess Championship from 1921 to 1927.
These examples illustrate the widespread presence and historical significance of the surname Jose, which has been carried by notable individuals across various fields, from exploration and architecture to literature, politics, and sports, spanning multiple centuries and regions influenced by Spanish culture and language.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Jose
Among Census respondents with the surname Jose, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 41.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (36.0%) and White (12.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Jose 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 Jose surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander41.9% · 5,289
- Hispanic or Latino36.0% · 4,554
- White12.4% · 1,564
- American Indian and Alaska Native4.5% · 563
- Black or African American3.0% · 383
- Two or more races2.2% · 280
Timeline
Historical Census data for Jose
Jose 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
#3,348
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,697
+3,308 bearers (+44.8%)
Per 100,000 3.63
Rank movement Up 1,087 places
2020
#2,777
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,633
+1,936 bearers (+18.1%)
Per 100,000 4.23
Rank movement Up 571 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,435 | 7,389 | 2.74 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,348 | 10,697 | 3.63 | +3,308 bearers (+44.8%) | Up 1,087 places |
| 2020 | #2,777 | 12,633 | 4.23 | +1,936 bearers (+18.1%) | Up 571 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 Jose 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 | #3,348 | #2,777 | 17.1% |
| Count | 10,697 | 12,633 | 18.1% |
| Per 100K | 3.63 | 4.23 | 16.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Jose bearers went from 10,697 to 12,633 (+18.1% change). The surname moved up 571 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,348 to #2,777.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Jose
FAQ
Jose surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Jose?
Name Census estimates that about 14,487 living Americans carry the surname Jose. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 23,659 residents.
How common is Jose?
Jose ranks #2,777 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 4.23 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 12,633 people with the surname Jose. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (14,487), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 4.23 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 4.23 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 Jose.
Has Jose become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Jose went from 10,697 recorded bearers to 12,633. That is an increase of 1,936 (+18.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #3,348 to #2,777.
What does the Census say about the background of Jose?
Among Census respondents with the surname Jose, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 41.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (36.0%) and White (12.4%). 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Jose in the 2020 Census, accounting for 41.9% (5,289 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Jose appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (41.9%), Hispanic (36.0%), White (12.4%). 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 Jose (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 Jose mean?
A Spanish and Portuguese patronymic surname meaning "son of José," a variant of Joseph. 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 Jose (4.23 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 Jose?
You can see how common the surname Jose is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.