2000
#15,835
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,688
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.63
Rare Last name
Monsivais
A Spanish habitational surname referring to someone from a place called Monsivais, derived from the Basque word for "one who lives on a hill."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,119 Americans carry the last name Monsivais. That puts it at #11,132 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.91 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 109,892 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Monsivais 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
3.1K
1 in 109,892
Census rank
#11,132
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,720 bearers of the surname Monsivais in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.91 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11132nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Monsivais, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 94.6%. The next largest groups are White (4.6%) and Two or More Races (0.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Monsivais
The surname Monsivais has its origins in Spain, tracing back to the medieval period. It is a locational name derived from the Spanish town of Monsiváis, located in the province of Cuenca. The name is likely a compound of the words "monte" (mountain) and "valdés" (valley), suggesting a geographic location nestled between mountains and valleys.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Monsivais can be found in the Becerro de Behetrías, an ancient Castilian manuscript from the 14th century. This document, which catalogued the nobility and landowners of the time, mentions several individuals bearing the Monsivais surname, indicating their presence in the region during that era.
In the 16th century, records show that a prominent figure named Alonso de Monsivais served as a military commander under King Philip II of Spain. His exploits and contributions to the Spanish Crown during the Reconquista period are well-documented in historical accounts from that time.
During the Age of Exploration, the Monsivais name made its way to the Americas as Spanish settlers and conquistadors ventured across the Atlantic. One notable figure was Diego de Monsivais, a colonial administrator who played a significant role in the governance of New Spain (present-day Mexico) in the late 16th century.
Another notable figure bearing the Monsivais surname was Fray Juan de Monsivais, a Spanish friar who lived in the 17th century. He was renowned for his missionary work in the Americas, particularly in the region now known as Texas, where he established several missions and worked to convert indigenous populations to Catholicism.
In the 18th century, a distinguished writer and poet named Juana Inés de Monsivais gained recognition for her literary contributions. Her works, which explored themes of love, religion, and societal issues, earned her a place among the prominent figures of the Spanish Golden Age.
Over the centuries, the Monsivais surname has undergone various spelling variations, including Monsiváis, Monsiváez, and Monsiváiz, reflecting regional dialects and linguistic adaptations. However, the core essence of the name, rooted in its Spanish origins, has remained intact across generations and geographic boundaries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Monsivais
Among Census respondents with the surname Monsivais, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 94.6%. The next largest groups are White (4.6%) and Two or More Races (0.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Monsivais 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 Monsivais surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino94.6% · 2,572
- White4.6% · 124
- Two or more races0.4% · 11
- Black or African American0.3% · 9
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.1% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Monsivais
Monsivais 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
#11,894
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,632
+944 bearers (+55.9%)
Per 100,000 0.89
Rank movement Up 3,941 places
2020
#11,132
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,720
+88 bearers (+3.3%)
Per 100,000 0.91
Rank movement Up 762 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #15,835 | 1,688 | 0.63 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,894 | 2,632 | 0.89 | +944 bearers (+55.9%) | Up 3,941 places |
| 2020 | #11,132 | 2,720 | 0.91 | +88 bearers (+3.3%) | Up 762 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 Monsivais 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 | #11,894 | #11,132 | 6.4% |
| Count | 2,632 | 2,720 | 3.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.89 | 0.91 | 2.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Monsivais bearers went from 2,632 to 2,720 (+3.3% change). The surname moved up 762 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,894 to #11,132.
FAQ
Monsivais surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Monsivais?
Name Census estimates that about 3,119 living Americans carry the surname Monsivais. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 109,892 residents.
How common is Monsivais?
Monsivais ranks #11,132 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.91 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 2,720 people with the surname Monsivais. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,119), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.91 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.91 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 Monsivais.
Has Monsivais become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Monsivais went from 2,632 recorded bearers to 2,720. That is an increase of 88 (+3.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #11,894 to #11,132.
What does the Census say about the background of Monsivais?
Among Census respondents with the surname Monsivais, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 94.6%. The next largest groups are White (4.6%) and Two or More Races (0.4%). 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 Monsivais in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.6% (2,572 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Monsivais appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (94.6%), White (4.6%), Two or More Races (0.4%). 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 Monsivais (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 Monsivais mean?
A Spanish habitational surname referring to someone from a place called Monsivais, derived from the Basque word for "one who lives on a hill." 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 Monsivais (0.91 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 last name Monsivais?
Find out how many people have the surname Monsivais on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.