2000
#17,510
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,483
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.55
Rare Last name
Moncayo
A Spanish toponymic surname referring to someone from Moncayo, a mountain range in northern Spain.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,318 Americans carry the last name Moncayo. That puts it at #14,261 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.68 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 147,866 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Moncayo 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
2.3K
1 in 147,866
Census rank
#14,261
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,021 bearers of the surname Moncayo in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.68 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14261st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Moncayo, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 91.8%. The next largest groups are White (5.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Moncayo
The surname Moncayo has its origins in Spain, emerging during the medieval period. It is believed to have originated from the mountain range Moncayo, located in the province of Zaragoza, Aragon. The name is derived from the Latin word "montem caium," meaning "bald mountain," referring to the rocky peaks of the Moncayo range.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Moncayo surname can be found in the Becerro de Behetrías, a medieval Spanish manuscript dating back to the 14th century. This document listed various noble families and their properties, including the Moncayo lineage.
In the 16th century, a notable figure bearing the Moncayo surname was Pedro de Moncayo (1550-1620), a Spanish soldier and explorer who accompanied Juan de Oñate's expedition to New Mexico in 1598. He played a crucial role in establishing Spanish settlements in the region.
Another historical figure with the Moncayo name was Diego de Moncayo (1571-1635), a Spanish painter known for his religious works, particularly those commissioned by churches and convents in Seville.
During the 17th century, Juan de Moncayo y Gurrea (1614-1688) was a prominent Spanish theologian and bishop of Huesca. His writings on theology and canon law were widely influential during his time.
In the 18th century, the Moncayo surname gained further recognition with Manuel de Moncayo y Cuenca (1712-1788), a Spanish architect who designed several notable buildings in Madrid, including the Church of San Andrés and the Royal Palace of Aranjuez.
The name Moncayo is also associated with several place names, such as Moncayo Viejo and Moncayo Nuevo, which are towns located near the Moncayo mountain range in Aragon. These place names likely influenced the surname's origins and contributed to its geographical distribution.
While the Moncayo surname has Spanish roots, it has since spread to various parts of the world, including Latin America and other regions with significant Spanish influence. The name continues to hold historical significance, reflecting its connection to the Moncayo mountain range and the notable individuals who bore this surname throughout history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Moncayo
Among Census respondents with the surname Moncayo, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 91.8%. The next largest groups are White (5.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Moncayo 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 Moncayo surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino91.8% · 1,856
- White5.8% · 118
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.5% · 31
- Black or African American0.3% · 7
- Two or more races0.3% · 6
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Moncayo
Moncayo 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
#14,794
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,006
+523 bearers (+35.3%)
Per 100,000 0.68
Rank movement Up 2,716 places
2020
#14,261
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,021
+15 bearers (+0.7%)
Per 100,000 0.68
Rank movement Up 533 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #17,510 | 1,483 | 0.55 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,794 | 2,006 | 0.68 | +523 bearers (+35.3%) | Up 2,716 places |
| 2020 | #14,261 | 2,021 | 0.68 | +15 bearers (+0.7%) | Up 533 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 Moncayo 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 | #14,794 | #14,261 | 3.6% |
| Count | 2,006 | 2,021 | 0.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.68 | 0.68 | -0.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Moncayo bearers went from 2,006 to 2,021 (+0.7% change). The surname moved up 533 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,794 to #14,261.
FAQ
Moncayo surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Moncayo?
Name Census estimates that about 2,318 living Americans carry the surname Moncayo. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 147,866 residents.
How common is Moncayo?
Moncayo ranks #14,261 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.68 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 2,021 people with the surname Moncayo. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,318), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.68 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.68 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 Moncayo.
Has Moncayo become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Moncayo went from 2,006 recorded bearers to 2,021. That is an increase of 15 (+0.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #14,794 to #14,261.
What does the Census say about the background of Moncayo?
Among Census respondents with the surname Moncayo, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 91.8%. The next largest groups are White (5.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.5%). 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 Moncayo in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.8% (1,856 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Moncayo appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (91.8%), White (5.8%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.5%). 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 Moncayo (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 Moncayo mean?
A Spanish toponymic surname referring to someone from Moncayo, a mountain range in northern 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 Moncayo (0.68 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 Moncayo?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.