2000
#10,888
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,683
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.99
Rare Last name
Luera
A Spanish surname derived from the place name Luera, referring to someone who originated from that location.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,209 Americans carry the last name Luera. That puts it at #10,880 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.94 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 106,810 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Luera 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
3.2K
1 in 106,810
Census rank
#10,880
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,798 bearers of the surname Luera in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.94 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10880th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Luera, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 90.4%. The next largest groups are White (8.3%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Luera
The surname Luera has its origins in Spain, tracing back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Spanish word "luera," which referred to a strip of land or a boundary marker. This suggests that the name may have initially been associated with individuals who lived near or owned land near such markers.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Luera can be found in the medieval records of the Kingdom of Aragon, where a certain Pedro Luera was mentioned as a landowner in the year 1287. These records provide valuable insights into the name's prevalence in the region during that time period.
Another notable historical reference to the name Luera comes from the 16th century, when a Miguel Luera was listed as a soldier in the Spanish army during the Conquest of Mexico. His service in the New World expeditions led by Hernán Cortés suggests that the name had already gained recognition within Spanish society by that point.
Throughout the centuries, the name Luera has appeared in various forms and spellings, such as Lueras, Lueira, and Lhuera, reflecting regional linguistic variations and differences in record-keeping practices across different regions of Spain.
One of the most prominent individuals bearing the Luera surname was Juan Luera, a renowned Spanish artist who lived from 1589 to 1645. His works, which included religious paintings and portraits, can still be found in several churches and museums across Spain, serving as a testament to his artistic legacy.
Another notable figure was María Luera, a 17th-century writer and poet from Seville, Spain. She gained recognition for her poetry, which explored themes of love, nature, and the human experience, and her works were widely circulated during her lifetime.
In the 18th century, the name Luera was also associated with Diego Luera, a Spanish explorer who participated in several expeditions to the Americas. His travels and contributions to the exploration of the New World were documented in various historical accounts from that era.
As the name Luera spread beyond Spain, it took root in other Spanish-speaking regions, including Latin America. One prominent individual who carried this surname was Javier Luera, a Mexican politician and diplomat who served as the ambassador to several countries in the early 20th century, playing a crucial role in fostering international relations.
Throughout its long history, the surname Luera has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, from artists and writers to explorers and diplomats, leaving an indelible mark on the cultural and historical tapestry of Spain and beyond.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Luera
Among Census respondents with the surname Luera, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 90.4%. The next largest groups are White (8.3%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Luera 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 Luera surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino90.4% · 2,528
- White8.3% · 231
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 17
- Black or African American0.5% · 13
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.2% · 5
- Two or more races0.1% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Luera
Luera 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
#10,829
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,941
+258 bearers (+9.6%)
Per 100,000 1.00
Rank movement Up 59 places
2020
#10,880
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,798
-143 bearers (-4.9%)
Per 100,000 0.94
Rank movement Down 51 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,888 | 2,683 | 0.99 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,829 | 2,941 | 1.00 | +258 bearers (+9.6%) | Up 59 places |
| 2020 | #10,880 | 2,798 | 0.94 | -143 bearers (-4.9%) | Down 51 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 Luera 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 | #10,829 | #10,880 | -0.5% |
| Count | 2,941 | 2,798 | -4.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.00 | 0.94 | -6.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Luera bearers went from 2,941 to 2,798 (-4.9% change). The surname moved down 51 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,829 to #10,880.
FAQ
Luera surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Luera?
Name Census estimates that about 3,209 living Americans carry the surname Luera. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 106,810 residents.
How common is Luera?
Luera ranks #10,880 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.94 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,798 people with the surname Luera. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,209), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.94 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.94 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Luera.
Has Luera become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Luera went from 2,941 recorded bearers to 2,798. That is a decrease of 143 (-4.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #10,829 to #10,880.
What does the Census say about the background of Luera?
Among Census respondents with the surname Luera, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 90.4%. The next largest groups are White (8.3%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.6%). 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 Luera in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.4% (2,528 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Luera appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (90.4%), White (8.3%), American Indian/Alaska Native (0.6%). 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 Luera (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 Luera mean?
A Spanish surname derived from the place name Luera, referring to someone who originated from that location. 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 Luera (0.94 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 Luera?
See how many people are called Luera on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.