2000
#9,174
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,268
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.21
Rare Last name
Mendosa
A Spanish surname derived from the place name Mendoza, referring to someone from the Basque region of Spain.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,233 Americans carry the last name Mendosa. That puts it at #14,669 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.65 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 153,495 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mendosa 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
2.2K
1 in 153,495
Census rank
#14,669
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,947 bearers of the surname Mendosa in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.65 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14669th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mendosa, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 88.5%. The next largest groups are White (7.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mendosa
The surname Mendosa originated in Spain during the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Spanish word "mendoza," which means a bramble bush or a place abundant with such bushes. The name was likely initially a toponymic surname, referring to someone who lived near or came from a location with an abundance of bramble bushes.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Mendosa can be found in the Cartulario de San Millán de la Cogolla, a medieval manuscript dating back to the 11th century. This document mentions several individuals bearing the name, indicating its presence in Spain during that time.
The Mendosa family was influential in Spain during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance period. Íñigo López de Mendoza, also known as the Marqués de Santillana (1398-1458), was a prominent Spanish poet, nobleman, and patron of the arts. He played a significant role in the development of Spanish literature and the promotion of Renaissance humanism in Spain.
Another notable figure was Pedro González de Mendoza (1428-1495), a Spanish cardinal and statesman who served as the Archbishop of Seville and the Grand Cardinal of Spain. He was instrumental in the Spanish Inquisition and played a crucial role in the expulsion of Jews and Muslims from Spain.
During the colonial era, the surname Mendosa spread to the Americas as Spanish settlers and conquistadors carried the name to the New World. One example is Antonio de Mendoza (1490-1552), a Spanish nobleman who served as the first Viceroy of New Spain (present-day Mexico) from 1535 to 1550.
In the realm of literature, the surname Mendosa is associated with Diego Hurtado de Mendoza (1503-1575), a Spanish novelist, poet, and diplomat known for his picaresque novel "Lazarillo de Tormes," considered one of the earliest examples of the genre.
The name Mendosa has also been associated with various places and locations throughout Spain. For instance, the town of Mendoza in the province of Álava and the Mendoza district in the city of Vitoria-Gasteiz both derive their names from the surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mendosa
Among Census respondents with the surname Mendosa, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 88.5%. The next largest groups are White (7.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Mendosa 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 Mendosa surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino88.5% · 1,724
- White7.6% · 148
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.8% · 36
- Black or African American1.1% · 22
- Two or more races0.6% · 11
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mendosa
Mendosa 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
#9,144
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,568
+300 bearers (+9.2%)
Per 100,000 1.21
Rank movement Up 30 places
2020
#14,669
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,947
-1,621 bearers (-45.4%)
Per 100,000 0.65
Rank movement Down 5,525 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,174 | 3,268 | 1.21 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,144 | 3,568 | 1.21 | +300 bearers (+9.2%) | Up 30 places |
| 2020 | #14,669 | 1,947 | 0.65 | -1,621 bearers (-45.4%) | Down 5,525 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 Mendosa 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 | #9,144 | #14,669 | -60.4% |
| Count | 3,568 | 1,947 | -45.4% |
| Per 100K | 1.21 | 0.65 | -46.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mendosa bearers went from 3,568 to 1,947 (-45.4% change). The surname moved down 5,525 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,144 to #14,669.
FAQ
Mendosa surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mendosa?
Name Census estimates that about 2,233 living Americans carry the surname Mendosa. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 153,495 residents.
How common is Mendosa?
Mendosa ranks #14,669 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.65 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 1,947 people with the surname Mendosa. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,233), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.65 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.65 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 Mendosa.
Has Mendosa become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mendosa went from 3,568 recorded bearers to 1,947. That is a decrease of 1,621 (-45.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,144 to #14,669.
What does the Census say about the background of Mendosa?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mendosa, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 88.5%. The next largest groups are White (7.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (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 Mendosa in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.5% (1,724 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mendosa appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (88.5%), White (7.6%), Asian/Pacific Islander (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 Mendosa (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 Mendosa mean?
A Spanish surname derived from the place name Mendoza, referring to someone from the Basque region of Spain. 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 Mendosa (0.65 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 Mendosa?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans have the surname Mendosa on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.