2000
#1,672
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 19,632
First available Census row
Per 100,000 7.28
Uncommon Last name
Madrigal
A surname of Italian and Spanish origin referring to a person who sang madrigals or was a musical composer.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 29,912 Americans carry the last name Madrigal. That puts it at #1,323 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 8.73 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 11,459 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Madrigal 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
30K
1 in 11,459
Census rank
#1,323
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
8.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
26K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 26,085 bearers of the surname Madrigal in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 8.73 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1323rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Madrigal, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 93.1%. The next largest groups are White (4.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Madrigal
The surname Madrigal has its origins in Spain, tracing back to the medieval era. It is derived from the Spanish word "madrigal," which refers to a type of secular vocal music composition popular during the Renaissance period. The name likely originated as a descriptive term for individuals associated with this musical art form, such as composers, performers, or patrons.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname Madrigal can be found in various Spanish historical documents and records from the 15th and 16th centuries. One notable example is the mention of a certain Juan Madrigal in the chronicles of the Castilian kingdom during the reign of King Juan II in the early 15th century.
In the 16th century, the Madrigal name gained prominence with the birth of Alonso Madrigal (1489-1555), a Spanish Catholic prelate and theologian who served as the Bishop of Ávila. He was also known as Alonso de Madrigal or Alonso Tostado, and his works significantly influenced religious thought during the Renaissance era.
Another prominent figure bearing the Madrigal surname was Tomás Madrigal (1578-1637), a Spanish Baroque painter renowned for his religious artwork and contributions to the Sevillian school of painting. His works can be found in various churches and museums throughout Spain.
The Madrigal surname also has ties to certain place names in Spain, such as the village of Madrigal de las Altas Torres in the province of Ávila. This village is known for its historical associations with Queen Isabella I of Castile, who was born there in 1451.
In the realm of literature, the Madrigal name is mentioned in Miguel de Cervantes' famous novel "Don Quixote." In one of the chapters, the protagonist encounters a group of travelers, including a man named Madrigal, who becomes involved in a humorous exchange with Don Quixote.
Other notable individuals with the Madrigal surname include Pedro Madrigal (1589-1661), a Spanish Jesuit missionary and linguist who worked in the Philippines and produced important works on the Tagalog language, and María Madrigal (1756-1832), a Spanish poet and writer from Cádiz renowned for her romantic and satirical compositions.
While the surname Madrigal has its roots in Spain, it has since spread to various parts of the world, including Latin America, due to Spanish colonization and migration. However, its origins and rich historical associations remain deeply intertwined with the vibrant cultural heritage of Spain.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Madrigal
Among Census respondents with the surname Madrigal, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 93.1%. The next largest groups are White (4.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Madrigal 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 Madrigal surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino93.1% · 24,289
- White4.7% · 1,224
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.2% · 314
- Two or more races0.5% · 123
- Black or African American0.3% · 85
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 50
Timeline
Historical Census data for Madrigal
Madrigal 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
#1,299
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 27,033
+7,401 bearers (+37.7%)
Per 100,000 9.16
Rank movement Up 373 places
2020
#1,323
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 26,085
-948 bearers (-3.5%)
Per 100,000 8.73
Rank movement Down 24 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,672 | 19,632 | 7.28 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,299 | 27,033 | 9.16 | +7,401 bearers (+37.7%) | Up 373 places |
| 2020 | #1,323 | 26,085 | 8.73 | -948 bearers (-3.5%) | Down 24 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 Madrigal 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 | #1,299 | #1,323 | -1.8% |
| Count | 27,033 | 26,085 | -3.5% |
| Per 100K | 9.16 | 8.73 | -4.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Madrigal bearers went from 27,033 to 26,085 (-3.5% change). The surname moved down 24 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,299 to #1,323.
FAQ
Madrigal surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Madrigal?
Name Census estimates that about 29,912 living Americans carry the surname Madrigal. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 11,459 residents.
How common is Madrigal?
Madrigal ranks #1,323 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 8.73 per 100,000 residents, which is about 9 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 26,085 people with the surname Madrigal. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (29,912), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 8.73 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 8.73 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 9 of them to have the surname Madrigal.
Has Madrigal become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Madrigal went from 27,033 recorded bearers to 26,085. That is a decrease of 948 (-3.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,299 to #1,323.
What does the Census say about the background of Madrigal?
Among Census respondents with the surname Madrigal, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 93.1%. The next largest groups are White (4.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.2%). 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 Madrigal in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.1% (24,289 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Madrigal appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (93.1%), White (4.7%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.2%). 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 Madrigal (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 Madrigal mean?
A surname of Italian and Spanish origin referring to a person who sang madrigals or was a musical composer. 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 Madrigal (8.73 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 Madrigal?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the surname Madrigal on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.