2000
#13,104
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,140
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.79
Rare Last name
Mederos
A Spanish toponymic surname referring to someone from any of the various places named Mederos.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,276 Americans carry the last name Mederos. That puts it at #10,684 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.96 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 104,626 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mederos 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
3.3K
1 in 104,626
Census rank
#10,684
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,857 bearers of the surname Mederos in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.96 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10684th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mederos, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 88.1%. The next largest groups are White (11.0%) and Black (0.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mederos
The surname Mederos is of Spanish origin, specifically from the Canary Islands, dating back to the 15th century. It is derived from the word "mederos," which refers to the Mediterranean heather plant (Erica arborea) that was abundant in the region. This suggests that the name may have originally been a descriptive nickname for someone who lived near or worked with this particular plant.
The earliest recorded instances of the Mederos surname can be found in documents from the Canary Islands during the late 15th and early 16th centuries, following the Spanish conquest and colonization of the islands. It is believed that the name was originally borne by individuals of Guanche ancestry, the indigenous inhabitants of the Canary Islands before the Spanish arrival.
One notable historical figure with the Mederos surname was Diego Mederos, a prominent landowner and military leader in the Canary Islands during the 16th century. He played a crucial role in defending the islands against various attacks and was instrumental in securing Spanish control over the region.
Another individual of note was Juan Mederos (1657-1725), a Spanish sailor and explorer who participated in several expeditions to the Americas and the Pacific Ocean. He was part of the crew that accompanied the renowned navigator and explorer Álvaro de Mendaña y Neira on his voyages to the Solomon Islands in the late 16th century.
In the 18th century, José Mederos (1720-1792) was a respected scholar and educator in the Canary Islands. He authored several books on linguistics and history, contributing to the preservation of the island's cultural heritage and traditions.
Moving into the 19th century, Miguel Mederos (1819-1885) was a influential political figure in the Canary Islands. He served as a member of the Spanish Parliament and was a vocal advocate for the rights and interests of the Canary Islands within the Spanish government.
Lastly, María Mederos (1881-1957) was a renowned Canarian poet and writer. Her works explored themes of love, nature, and the unique cultural identity of the Canary Islands. She is widely regarded as one of the most important literary figures from the islands in the early 20th century.
The Mederos surname has maintained a strong presence in the Canary Islands throughout history, with many descendants of the original bearers still residing in the region today. However, due to migration and the Spanish diaspora, the name has also spread to other parts of Spain, Latin America, and various parts of the world.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mederos
Among Census respondents with the surname Mederos, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 88.1%. The next largest groups are White (11.0%) and Black (0.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Mederos 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 Mederos surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino88.1% · 2,517
- White11.0% · 313
- Black or African American0.4% · 11
- Two or more races0.3% · 9
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.2% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mederos
Mederos 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
#11,057
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,875
+735 bearers (+34.3%)
Per 100,000 0.97
Rank movement Up 2,047 places
2020
#10,684
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,857
-18 bearers (-0.6%)
Per 100,000 0.96
Rank movement Up 373 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,104 | 2,140 | 0.79 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,057 | 2,875 | 0.97 | +735 bearers (+34.3%) | Up 2,047 places |
| 2020 | #10,684 | 2,857 | 0.96 | -18 bearers (-0.6%) | Up 373 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 Mederos 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 | #11,057 | #10,684 | 3.4% |
| Count | 2,875 | 2,857 | -0.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.97 | 0.96 | -1.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mederos bearers went from 2,875 to 2,857 (-0.6% change). The surname moved up 373 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,057 to #10,684.
FAQ
Mederos surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mederos?
Name Census estimates that about 3,276 living Americans carry the surname Mederos. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 104,626 residents.
How common is Mederos?
Mederos ranks #10,684 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.96 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,857 people with the surname Mederos. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,276), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.96 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.96 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Mederos.
Has Mederos become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mederos went from 2,875 recorded bearers to 2,857. That is a decrease of 18 (-0.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #11,057 to #10,684.
What does the Census say about the background of Mederos?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mederos, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 88.1%. The next largest groups are White (11.0%) and Black (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 Mederos in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.1% (2,517 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mederos appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (88.1%), White (11.0%), Black (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 Mederos (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 Mederos mean?
A Spanish toponymic surname referring to someone from any of the various places named Mederos. 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 Mederos (0.96 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 Mederos?
Find out how many Americans have the surname Mederos on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.