2000
#2,915
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,341
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.20
Uncommon Last name
Mesa
A Spanish topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a tableland or plateau.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 15,258 Americans carry the last name Mesa. That puts it at #2,645 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 4.45 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 22,464 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mesa 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
15K
1 in 22,464
Census rank
#2,645
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
4.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
13K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 13,306 bearers of the surname Mesa in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 4.45 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2645th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mesa, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 84.5%. The next largest groups are White (8.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mesa
The surname MESA has its origins in Spain, tracing back to the 15th century. It is derived from the Spanish word "mesa," which means "table" or "plateau." The name likely referred to individuals who lived near or owned land on a flat, elevated area or mesa.
In Spain, the name can be found in historical records from various regions, including Andalusia, Castile, and Aragon. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Libro del Repartimiento de Sevilla, a 13th-century document that recorded the distribution of land and properties in Seville after the Christian conquest.
During the Spanish colonization of the Americas, many individuals bearing the MESA surname traveled to the New World, particularly to Mexico and other parts of Central and South America. The name can be found in colonial records from these regions, often associated with landowners and prominent families.
One notable individual with the MESA surname was Juan de Mesa, a Spanish conquistador who participated in the conquest of Peru alongside Francisco Pizarro in the 16th century. He was born in Seville around 1505 and played a significant role in the subjugation of the Inca Empire.
Another historical figure was Miguel de Mesa, a 17th-century Spanish painter and engraver known for his religious works. He was born in Madrid in 1633 and worked extensively in churches and monasteries throughout Spain.
In the 19th century, Tomás de Mesa y Arteaga was a Spanish military officer and politician who served as the Prime Minister of Spain from 1857 to 1858. He was born in Seville in 1786 and played a crucial role in the transition period between the Spanish monarchy and the establishment of a constitutional government.
The MESA surname can also be found in other parts of Europe, such as Italy and Portugal, where it may have evolved from similar-sounding words or place names. For example, in Italy, the name "Messa" is a variant of MESA and may have been derived from the Latin word "mensa," meaning "table" or "dining table."
Another notable individual with the MESA surname was José Mesa, a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played for several teams, including the Cleveland Indians and the Philadelphia Phillies, from 1987 to 2003. He was born in Puebla, Mexico, in 1966 and was known for his outstanding relief pitching abilities.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mesa
Among Census respondents with the surname Mesa, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 84.5%. The next largest groups are White (8.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Mesa 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 Mesa surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino84.5% · 11,246
- White8.6% · 1,144
- Asian and Pacific Islander4.2% · 560
- Two or more races1.2% · 154
- Black or African American0.8% · 101
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 101
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mesa
Mesa 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
#2,656
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 13,566
+2,225 bearers (+19.6%)
Per 100,000 4.60
Rank movement Up 259 places
2020
#2,645
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 13,306
-260 bearers (-1.9%)
Per 100,000 4.45
Rank movement Up 11 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,915 | 11,341 | 4.20 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,656 | 13,566 | 4.60 | +2,225 bearers (+19.6%) | Up 259 places |
| 2020 | #2,645 | 13,306 | 4.45 | -260 bearers (-1.9%) | Up 11 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 Mesa 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 | #2,656 | #2,645 | 0.4% |
| Count | 13,566 | 13,306 | -1.9% |
| Per 100K | 4.60 | 4.45 | -3.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mesa bearers went from 13,566 to 13,306 (-1.9% change). The surname moved up 11 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,656 to #2,645.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Mesa
FAQ
Mesa surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mesa?
Name Census estimates that about 15,258 living Americans carry the surname Mesa. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 22,464 residents.
How common is Mesa?
Mesa ranks #2,645 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 4.45 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 13,306 people with the surname Mesa. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (15,258), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 4.45 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 4.45 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Mesa.
Has Mesa become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mesa went from 13,566 recorded bearers to 13,306. That is a decrease of 260 (-1.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #2,656 to #2,645.
What does the Census say about the background of Mesa?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mesa, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 84.5%. The next largest groups are White (8.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.2%). 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 Mesa in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.5% (11,246 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mesa appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (84.5%), White (8.6%), Asian/Pacific Islander (4.2%). 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 Mesa (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 Mesa mean?
A Spanish topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a tableland or plateau. 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 Mesa (4.45 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 Mesa?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.