2000
#6,893
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,492
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.67
Rare Last name
Machuca
A Spanish occupational surname referring to one who hammers or pounds, derived from the verb "machucar."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 7,205 Americans carry the last name Machuca. That puts it at #5,356 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.10 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 47,572 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Machuca 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
7.2K
1 in 47,572
Census rank
#5,356
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,283 bearers of the surname Machuca in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.10 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5356th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Machuca, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 95.0%. The next largest groups are White (3.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Machuca
The surname Machuca is of Spanish origin, with its roots traced back to the 15th century. It is believed to be derived from the Arabic word "mashq," which means "passage" or "narrow path," referring to a geographical feature in Spain during the Moorish rule.
Machuca is thought to have originated in the region of Andalusia, particularly in the provinces of Seville and Cordoba. The earliest known records of the name can be found in municipal archives and census records from these areas, dating back to the late 15th and early 16th centuries.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Machuca appears in the "Libro de Repartimiento de Sevilla," a document detailing the distribution of land and properties in Seville after the Reconquista in 1248. This document mentions several individuals with the surname Machuca, indicating their presence in the region at that time.
The name Machuca is also linked to the town of Machuca, located in the province of Jaén, which may have served as the basis for the surname. This town was likely named after the Arabic word "mashq," further reinforcing the potential Arabic influence on the surname's origins.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have carried the surname Machuca. One such person was Juan de Machuca (1490-1550), a Spanish architect and sculptor who worked on various projects in Granada and Seville during the Renaissance period.
Another prominent figure was Pedro de Machuca (1492-1550), a Spanish conquistador and explorer who accompanied Francisco Pizarro on his expeditions to Peru in the 16th century. He played a significant role in the conquest of the Inca Empire.
In the 17th century, Andrés de Machuca (1627-1689) was a Spanish painter known for his religious works, particularly his paintings in the Convento de San José in Seville.
During the 18th century, José de Machuca (1718-1786) was a Spanish military officer and engineer who served in the Spanish Army and contributed to the construction of fortifications in various Spanish territories.
In more recent times, Carlos Machuca (1924-2008) was a renowned Chilean filmmaker and screenwriter, known for his contributions to the development of Chilean cinema in the latter half of the 20th century.
While the surname Machuca has its roots in Spain, it has since spread to various parts of the world, including Latin America and other regions with Spanish influence, due to migration and colonization. However, its origins can be traced back to the Iberian Peninsula, where it first emerged as a distinct surname during the Moorish era.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Machuca
Among Census respondents with the surname Machuca, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 95.0%. The next largest groups are White (3.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Machuca 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 Machuca surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino95.0% · 5,969
- White3.8% · 239
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 25
- Two or more races0.3% · 20
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 17
- Black or African American0.2% · 13
Timeline
Historical Census data for Machuca
Machuca 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
#5,475
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,351
+1,859 bearers (+41.4%)
Per 100,000 2.15
Rank movement Up 1,418 places
2020
#5,356
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,283
-68 bearers (-1.1%)
Per 100,000 2.10
Rank movement Up 119 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,893 | 4,492 | 1.67 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,475 | 6,351 | 2.15 | +1,859 bearers (+41.4%) | Up 1,418 places |
| 2020 | #5,356 | 6,283 | 2.10 | -68 bearers (-1.1%) | Up 119 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 Machuca 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 | #5,475 | #5,356 | 2.2% |
| Count | 6,351 | 6,283 | -1.1% |
| Per 100K | 2.15 | 2.10 | -2.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Machuca bearers went from 6,351 to 6,283 (-1.1% change). The surname moved up 119 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,475 to #5,356.
FAQ
Machuca surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Machuca?
Name Census estimates that about 7,205 living Americans carry the surname Machuca. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 47,572 residents.
How common is Machuca?
Machuca ranks #5,356 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.10 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 6,283 people with the surname Machuca. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (7,205), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.1 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.10 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Machuca.
Has Machuca become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Machuca went from 6,351 recorded bearers to 6,283. That is a decrease of 68 (-1.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #5,475 to #5,356.
What does the Census say about the background of Machuca?
Among Census respondents with the surname Machuca, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 95.0%. The next largest groups are White (3.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.4%). 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 Machuca in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.0% (5,969 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Machuca appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (95.0%), White (3.8%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.4%). 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 Machuca (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 Machuca mean?
A Spanish occupational surname referring to one who hammers or pounds, derived from the verb "machucar." 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 Machuca (2.10 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 surname Machuca?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.