2000
#7,916
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,879
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.44
Rare Last name
Melgoza
A Spanish toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "hill of the goats" or "goat meadow".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,737 Americans carry the last name Melgoza. That puts it at #6,521 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.67 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 59,745 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Melgoza 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
5.7K
1 in 59,745
Census rank
#6,521
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,003 bearers of the surname Melgoza in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.67 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6521st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Melgoza, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 96.0%. The next largest groups are White (3.3%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Melgoza
The surname MELGOZA has its origins in Spain, tracing back to the medieval period around the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Spanish word "melga," which referred to a strip of cultivated land. This suggests that the name may have been initially associated with agricultural or farming communities.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname can be found in the "Becerro de las Behetrías de Castilla" (Register of Behetrias of Castile), a document from the 14th century that listed names and properties in various regions of Spain. The name appears in different spellings, such as "Melgoza" and "Melgosa," indicating variations in usage.
Historical records indicate that the surname was particularly prevalent in the regions of Castile and León, where many families bearing the name resided. In the 16th century, Juan Melgoza was a notable figure from Valladolid, known for his involvement in the military campaigns of King Charles I of Spain (also known as Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor).
Another prominent bearer of the MELGOZA surname was Francisca Melgoza, a Spanish nun who lived in the 17th century and played a significant role in the founding of the Convent of Santa Clara in Quito, Ecuador. Her contributions to the religious and cultural life of the region earned her recognition and respect.
In the 18th century, Pedro Melgoza was a influential landowner and businessman from the city of León, Spain. His involvement in the local economy and politics made him a prominent figure in the region during that time period.
Moving further into the 19th century, Francisco Melgoza y Almanza was a Mexican military officer and politician who actively participated in the Mexican War of Independence against Spanish rule. He was born in 1790 and played a crucial role in the struggle for Mexican independence, earning him a place in the annals of the country's history.
Throughout its history, the MELGOZA surname has been associated with various regions of Spain, particularly Castile and León, before spreading to other parts of the world, such as Latin America, through Spanish colonization and migration. While the name has undergone minor spelling variations, its origins can be traced back to the agricultural roots and historical significance of the medieval era in Spain.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Melgoza
Among Census respondents with the surname Melgoza, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 96.0%. The next largest groups are White (3.3%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Melgoza 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 Melgoza surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino96.0% · 4,805
- White3.3% · 163
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 12
- Two or more races0.2% · 10
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.2% · 8
- Black or African American0.1% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Melgoza
Melgoza 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
#6,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,211
+1,332 bearers (+34.3%)
Per 100,000 1.77
Rank movement Up 1,405 places
2020
#6,521
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,003
-208 bearers (-4.0%)
Per 100,000 1.67
Rank movement Down 10 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,916 | 3,879 | 1.44 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,511 | 5,211 | 1.77 | +1,332 bearers (+34.3%) | Up 1,405 places |
| 2020 | #6,521 | 5,003 | 1.67 | -208 bearers (-4.0%) | Down 10 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 Melgoza 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 | #6,511 | #6,521 | -0.2% |
| Count | 5,211 | 5,003 | -4.0% |
| Per 100K | 1.77 | 1.67 | -5.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Melgoza bearers went from 5,211 to 5,003 (-4.0% change). The surname moved down 10 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,511 to #6,521.
FAQ
Melgoza surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Melgoza?
Name Census estimates that about 5,737 living Americans carry the surname Melgoza. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 59,745 residents.
How common is Melgoza?
Melgoza ranks #6,521 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.67 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,003 people with the surname Melgoza. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,737), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.67 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.67 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Melgoza.
Has Melgoza become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Melgoza went from 5,211 recorded bearers to 5,003. That is a decrease of 208 (-4.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,511 to #6,521.
What does the Census say about the background of Melgoza?
Among Census respondents with the surname Melgoza, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 96.0%. The next largest groups are White (3.3%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.2%). 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 Melgoza in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.0% (4,805 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Melgoza appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (96.0%), White (3.3%), American Indian/Alaska Native (0.2%). 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 Melgoza (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 Melgoza mean?
A Spanish toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "hill of the goats" or "goat meadow". 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 Melgoza (1.67 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 Melgoza?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans have the surname Melgoza on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.