2000
#12,976
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,166
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.80
Rare Last name
Mestas
A Spanish toponymic surname indicating an origin near a field or area of arable land.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,593 Americans carry the last name Mestas. That puts it at #12,990 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.76 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 132,184 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mestas 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
2.6K
1 in 132,184
Census rank
#12,990
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,261 bearers of the surname Mestas in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.76 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12990th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mestas, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 78.0%. The next largest groups are White (19.1%) and Two or More Races (1.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mestas
The surname Mestas originates from Spain, specifically the region of Galicia in the northwest part of the country. It is believed to have derived from the Latin word "mestas," meaning "harvest" or "crop." This suggests that the name may have been associated with agricultural activities or professions related to farming.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Mestas surname can be traced back to the 13th century, with references found in historical documents and records from the Galician region. It is possible that the name may have been influenced by the similar-sounding place name "Mestás," a small village located in the municipality of Valdés, Asturias.
During the Middle Ages, the Mestas name appeared in various manuscripts and records, including property deeds, tax rolls, and municipal archives. One notable figure from this period was Pedro Mestas, a landowner and merchant who lived in the city of Santiago de Compostela in the 15th century.
As the Mestas family spread throughout Spain and beyond, variations in the spelling of the name emerged, such as Mestás, Mestaz, and Mestaz. Some of these variations may have been influenced by the local dialects or regional pronunciations.
In the 16th century, Juan Mestas, a Spanish explorer and navigator, accompanied Hernán Cortés on his expeditions to the Americas. Juan Mestas played a significant role in the exploration and conquest of Mexico, and his name is mentioned in several historical accounts of that era.
Another notable figure was María Mestas, a 17th-century writer and poet from Seville, Spain. Her collection of poetry and literary works gained recognition during her lifetime and contributed to the cultural landscape of the Spanish Golden Age.
In the 18th century, Diego Mestas, a Spanish military officer, served in the Spanish colonies of the Americas. He participated in various campaigns and battles, earning recognition for his bravery and leadership.
The 19th century saw the rise of Francisco Mestas, a prominent political figure and advocate for social reforms in Spain. He actively campaigned for workers' rights and played a significant role in shaping the country's labor laws and policies.
As the Mestas surname spread across borders, it found its way into other Spanish-speaking regions, including Latin America and the Caribbean. One notable figure from this era was Miguel Mestas, a Cuban revolutionary and writer who fought against Spanish colonial rule in the late 19th century.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mestas
Among Census respondents with the surname Mestas, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 78.0%. The next largest groups are White (19.1%) and Two or More Races (1.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Mestas 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 Mestas surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino78.0% · 1,764
- White19.1% · 431
- Two or more races1.1% · 25
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 22
- Black or African American0.5% · 12
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mestas
Mestas 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
#12,935
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,375
+209 bearers (+9.6%)
Per 100,000 0.81
Rank movement Up 41 places
2020
#12,990
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,261
-114 bearers (-4.8%)
Per 100,000 0.76
Rank movement Down 55 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,976 | 2,166 | 0.80 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,935 | 2,375 | 0.81 | +209 bearers (+9.6%) | Up 41 places |
| 2020 | #12,990 | 2,261 | 0.76 | -114 bearers (-4.8%) | Down 55 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 Mestas 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 | #12,935 | #12,990 | -0.4% |
| Count | 2,375 | 2,261 | -4.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.81 | 0.76 | -6.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mestas bearers went from 2,375 to 2,261 (-4.8% change). The surname moved down 55 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,935 to #12,990.
FAQ
Mestas surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mestas?
Name Census estimates that about 2,593 living Americans carry the surname Mestas. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 132,184 residents.
How common is Mestas?
Mestas ranks #12,990 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.76 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 2,261 people with the surname Mestas. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,593), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.76 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.76 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 Mestas.
Has Mestas become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mestas went from 2,375 recorded bearers to 2,261. That is a decrease of 114 (-4.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #12,935 to #12,990.
What does the Census say about the background of Mestas?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mestas, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 78.0%. The next largest groups are White (19.1%) and Two or More Races (1.1%). 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 Mestas in the 2020 Census, accounting for 78.0% (1,764 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mestas appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (78.0%), White (19.1%), Two or More Races (1.1%). 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 Mestas (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 Mestas mean?
A Spanish toponymic surname indicating an origin near a field or area of arable land. 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 Mestas (0.76 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 Mestas?
If you just want to know how many people have the surname Mestas, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.