2010
#143,149
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Maldonato
From Spanish "Maldonado", meaning town or village named for a man named Maldón.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 126 Americans carry the last name Maldonato. That puts it at #149,446 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,720,273 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Maldonato 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
126
1 in 2,720,273
Census rank
#149,446
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
110
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 110 bearers of the surname Maldonato in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 149446th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Maldonato, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 48.2%. The next largest groups are White (47.3%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Maldonato
The surname MALDONATO has its roots in the Spanish language and culture. It originated in the Iberian Peninsula, specifically in the regions of Andalusia and Extremadura, during the medieval period.
The name MALDONATO is believed to be derived from the Spanish word "maldonado," which means "ill-given" or "poorly gifted." This name may have been initially given as a nickname or descriptive surname to someone who was considered unfortunate or lacking in certain qualities.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name MALDONATO can be found in the Repartimiento de Sevilla, a document dating back to the 13th century that recorded the distribution of land and property among the Christian conquerors of Seville. The name appears in various forms, such as "Maldonado" and "Maldonatus."
During the 15th and 16th centuries, the MALDONATO surname began to spread throughout Spain and its territories. Rodrigo Maldonado de Talavera (1463-1538) was a Spanish historian and writer who served as a chronicler for the Catholic Monarchs, Ferdinand and Isabella.
As the Spanish Empire expanded, the MALDONATO surname was carried to the Americas by conquistadors, settlers, and administrators. One notable figure was Alonso de Maldonado (fl. 1550s), a Spanish explorer who claimed to have discovered the Northwest Passage connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, although his claims were disputed.
In the 17th century, Pedro Maldonado Vázquez (1604-1667) was a Spanish painter and sculptor who worked in the Baroque style. His works can be found in various churches and museums in Spain.
During the 19th century, José María Maldonado (1831-1910) was a Peruvian politician and diplomat who served as the President of Peru from 1890 to 1894. He played a significant role in resolving territorial disputes with neighboring countries.
Throughout history, the MALDONATO surname has been associated with various professions, including writers, artists, explorers, and politicians. While the name may have originated from a descriptive nickname, it has since gained a rich heritage and has been carried by individuals who have made significant contributions in various fields.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Maldonato
Among Census respondents with the surname Maldonato, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 48.2%. The next largest groups are White (47.3%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Maldonato 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 Maldonato surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino48.2% · 53
- White47.3% · 52
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.8% · 2
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Maldonato
Maldonato appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#149,446
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
-6 bearers (-5.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 6,297 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #143,149 | 116 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #149,446 | 110 | 0.04 | -6 bearers (-5.2%) | Down 6,297 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 Maldonato 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 | #143,149 | #149,446 | -4.4% |
| Count | 116 | 110 | -5.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Maldonato bearers went from 116 to 110 (-5.2% change). The surname moved down 6,297 positions in the national ranking, going from #143,149 to #149,446.
FAQ
Maldonato surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Maldonato?
Name Census estimates that about 126 living Americans carry the surname Maldonato. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,720,273 residents.
How common is Maldonato?
Maldonato ranks #149,446 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 110 people with the surname Maldonato. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (126), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Maldonato.
Has Maldonato become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Maldonato went from 116 recorded bearers to 110. That is a decrease of 6 (-5.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #143,149 to #149,446.
What does the Census say about the background of Maldonato?
Among Census respondents with the surname Maldonato, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 48.2%. The next largest groups are White (47.3%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.8%). 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 Maldonato in the 2020 Census, accounting for 48.2% (53 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Maldonato appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (48.2%), White (47.3%), American Indian/Alaska Native (1.8%). 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 Maldonato (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 Maldonato mean?
From Spanish "Maldonado", meaning town or village named for a man named Maldón. 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 Maldonato (0.04 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 Maldonato?
For a quick modern take, check how many people are called Maldonato on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.