2000
#42,134
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 485
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.18
Rare Last name
Mascarenhas
A surname of Portuguese origin referring to someone from the Mascarene Islands.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,057 Americans carry the last name Mascarenhas. That puts it at #27,672 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.31 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 324,271 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mascarenhas 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 Mascarenhas with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
1.1K
1 in 324,271
Census rank
#27,672
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
922
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 922 bearers of the surname Mascarenhas in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.31 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 27672nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mascarenhas, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 59.0%. The next largest groups are White (25.5%) and Two or More Races (9.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mascarenhas
The surname Mascarenhas originates from Portugal and dates back to the 15th century. It is believed to be derived from the Portuguese words "mascarar" (to mask) and "enhas" (small vineyards), suggesting a possible association with the region's wine-producing areas or perhaps a connection to a family involved in the production of wines or vineyards.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname can be traced back to the island of Madeira, where it was commonly found among the Portuguese nobility and landowners. In the 16th century, the name appeared in various historical documents, including land deeds and church records, indicating its presence in the region during that time period.
One of the earliest documented individuals with the surname Mascarenhas was João Fernandes Mascarenhas, a Portuguese explorer and navigator who lived in the late 15th and early 16th centuries. He is credited with discovering the islands of Réunion and Mauritius in the Indian Ocean, which were initially known as the Mascarene Islands, likely named after him.
Another notable figure was Pedro Mascarenhas, a 16th-century Portuguese military commander and explorer who served as the Captain of Malacca (present-day Malaysia) and later as the Governor of Portuguese India. His expeditions and conquests played a significant role in expanding Portuguese influence in the Indian Ocean region.
In the 17th century, the name Mascarenhas gained prominence in Brazil, where members of the family were among the early Portuguese settlers and landowners. Notable individuals from this period include Brás Mascarenhas, a wealthy landowner and cattle rancher in the state of Bahia, and Antônio Mascarenhas, a Jesuit priest and missionary who worked among the indigenous populations of Brazil.
During the 18th and 19th centuries, the surname Mascarenhas was associated with several notable figures in Portuguese and Brazilian history. For example, José Mascarenhas Pacheco Coelho was a prominent Portuguese politician and diplomat who served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs in the early 19th century.
In Brazil, Joaquim Mascarenhas Borges was a prominent lawyer, journalist, and politician who played a significant role in the abolitionist movement and the abolition of slavery in the country in the late 19th century.
Throughout its history, the surname Mascarenhas has been associated with nobility, landowners, military leaders, explorers, and influential figures in various fields, reflecting its strong Portuguese roots and widespread presence in Portugal, Brazil, and other regions influenced by Portuguese colonization and migration.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mascarenhas
Among Census respondents with the surname Mascarenhas, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 59.0%. The next largest groups are White (25.5%) and Two or More Races (9.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Mascarenhas 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 Mascarenhas surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander59.0% · 544
- White25.5% · 235
- Two or more races9.0% · 83
- Black or African American3.6% · 33
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 25
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mascarenhas
Mascarenhas 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
#33,731
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 675
+190 bearers (+39.2%)
Per 100,000 0.23
Rank movement Up 8,403 places
2020
#27,672
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 922
+247 bearers (+36.6%)
Per 100,000 0.31
Rank movement Up 6,059 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #42,134 | 485 | 0.18 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #33,731 | 675 | 0.23 | +190 bearers (+39.2%) | Up 8,403 places |
| 2020 | #27,672 | 922 | 0.31 | +247 bearers (+36.6%) | Up 6,059 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 Mascarenhas 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 | #33,731 | #27,672 | 18.0% |
| Count | 675 | 922 | 36.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.23 | 0.31 | 34.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mascarenhas bearers went from 675 to 922 (+36.6% change). The surname moved up 6,059 positions in the national ranking, going from #33,731 to #27,672.
FAQ
Mascarenhas surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mascarenhas?
Name Census estimates that about 1,057 living Americans carry the surname Mascarenhas. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 324,271 residents.
How common is Mascarenhas?
Mascarenhas ranks #27,672 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.31 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 922 people with the surname Mascarenhas. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,057), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.31 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.31 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 Mascarenhas.
Has Mascarenhas become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mascarenhas went from 675 recorded bearers to 922. That is an increase of 247 (+36.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #33,731 to #27,672.
What does the Census say about the background of Mascarenhas?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mascarenhas, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 59.0%. The next largest groups are White (25.5%) and Two or More Races (9.0%). 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Mascarenhas in the 2020 Census, accounting for 59.0% (544 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mascarenhas appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (59.0%), White (25.5%), Two or More Races (9.0%). 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 Mascarenhas (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 Mascarenhas mean?
A surname of Portuguese origin referring to someone from the Mascarene Islands. 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 Mascarenhas (0.31 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 Mascarenhas?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.