2000
#2,751
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,041
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.46
Uncommon Last name
Mares
Derived from the Latin "maris," meaning "of the sea," referring to someone who lived near the sea.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 16,388 Americans carry the last name Mares. That puts it at #2,467 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 4.78 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 20,915 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mares 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 Mares with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
16K
1 in 20,915
Census rank
#2,467
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
4.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
14K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 14,291 bearers of the surname Mares in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 4.78 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2467th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mares, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 83.4%. The next largest groups are White (14.6%) and Two or More Races (0.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mares
The surname Mares originated from the Spanish language and has its roots in the Iberian Peninsula during the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Latin word "mare," which means "sea" or "ocean." This name was likely given to individuals who lived near the sea or were associated with maritime activities.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Mares can be found in the 13th century in the region of Catalonia, Spain. Historical records from that time mention a family with the surname Mares residing in the coastal town of Tarragona. The name's connection to the sea is further reinforced by the area's proximity to the Mediterranean Sea.
In the 14th century, the surname Mares appeared in various documents and records from the Kingdom of Aragon, which included parts of modern-day Spain and the Balearic Islands. One notable example is Francisco Mares, a merchant born in Valencia in 1387, who was involved in maritime trade and had business dealings with Italian merchants.
During the 15th century, the surname Mares spread to other parts of Spain, including the region of Andalusia. In 1492, a man named Juan Mares was recorded as being part of the crew on Christopher Columbus's first voyage to the Americas, further solidifying the name's connection to maritime endeavors.
As the Spanish Empire expanded in the 16th and 17th centuries, the surname Mares was carried to the colonies in the Americas and the Philippines. One prominent individual bearing this name was Pedro Mares de Ávila, born in 1564 in Seville, Spain. He served as a conquistador and was involved in the conquest of Chile and the exploration of the Pacific Ocean.
Throughout history, various spellings and variations of the surname Mares have existed, including Marés, Marés, and Marès. These variations often reflected regional linguistic differences or personal preferences in orthography.
Other notable individuals with the surname Mares include:
1. Antonio Mares (1744-1823), a Spanish military officer and governor of Texas during the Spanish colonial period.
2. Margarita Mares (1802-1890), a Mexican-American landowner and rancher in California, known for her role in the preservation of Spanish culture and traditions.
3. Juan Mares Sánchez (1879-1961), a Spanish painter and sculptor from Seville, renowned for his works depicting religious and historical themes.
4. Emilio Mares (1888-1976), a Chilean poet and journalist, considered one of the pioneers of modern poetry in Chile.
5. María Mares (1910-1997), a Mexican actress and dancer, known for her performances in various Mexican films and stage productions.
These examples illustrate the diverse backgrounds and accomplishments of individuals bearing the surname Mares throughout history, reflecting its enduring presence across different regions and centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mares
Among Census respondents with the surname Mares, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 83.4%. The next largest groups are White (14.6%) and Two or More Races (0.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Mares 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 Mares surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino83.4% · 11,922
- White14.6% · 2,086
- Two or more races0.8% · 116
- Black or African American0.5% · 68
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 67
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.2% · 32
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mares
Mares 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
#2,427
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 14,931
+2,890 bearers (+24.0%)
Per 100,000 5.06
Rank movement Up 324 places
2020
#2,467
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 14,291
-640 bearers (-4.3%)
Per 100,000 4.78
Rank movement Down 40 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,751 | 12,041 | 4.46 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,427 | 14,931 | 5.06 | +2,890 bearers (+24.0%) | Up 324 places |
| 2020 | #2,467 | 14,291 | 4.78 | -640 bearers (-4.3%) | Down 40 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 Mares 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 | #2,427 | #2,467 | -1.6% |
| Count | 14,931 | 14,291 | -4.3% |
| Per 100K | 5.06 | 4.78 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mares bearers went from 14,931 to 14,291 (-4.3% change). The surname moved down 40 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,427 to #2,467.
FAQ
Mares surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mares?
Name Census estimates that about 16,388 living Americans carry the surname Mares. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 20,915 residents.
How common is Mares?
Mares ranks #2,467 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 4.78 per 100,000 residents, which is about 5 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 14,291 people with the surname Mares. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (16,388), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 4.78 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 4.78 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 5 of them to have the surname Mares.
Has Mares become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mares went from 14,931 recorded bearers to 14,291. That is a decrease of 640 (-4.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,427 to #2,467.
What does the Census say about the background of Mares?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mares, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 83.4%. The next largest groups are White (14.6%) and Two or More Races (0.8%). 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 Mares in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.4% (11,922 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mares appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (83.4%), White (14.6%), Two or More Races (0.8%). 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 Mares (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 Mares mean?
Derived from the Latin "maris," meaning "of the sea," referring to someone who lived near the sea. 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 Mares (4.78 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 Americans have the surname Mares?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.