2000
#24,584
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 953
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.35
Rare Last name
Morocho
A surname of Spanish origin referring to a person with dark hair, eyes, or complexion.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,875 Americans carry the last name Morocho. That puts it at #9,253 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.13 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 88,453 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Morocho 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
3.9K
1 in 88,453
Census rank
#9,253
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,379 bearers of the surname Morocho in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.13 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9253rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Morocho, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 97.4%. The next largest groups are White (1.8%) and Black (0.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Morocho
The surname Morocho has its origins in Ecuador, with the earliest recorded instances dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the Quechua word "muruchu," which means "dark-skinned" or "brown-skinned." This suggests that the name was initially used to describe individuals with a darker complexion, which was likely a distinguishing feature in the region at the time.
Records from colonial times show that the surname Morocho was prevalent in the highlands of Ecuador, particularly in the regions around Quito and Cuenca. It is possible that the name was initially adopted by indigenous individuals who had been given Spanish surnames during the process of colonization and assimilation.
One of the earliest known references to the surname Morocho can be found in the archives of the Archdiocese of Quito, where a man named Juan Morocho was mentioned in a document dated 1568. This record provides valuable insight into the antiquity of the surname and its presence in the region during the colonial era.
Throughout the 17th and 18th centuries, the surname Morocho continued to appear in various historical documents and records, particularly those related to land ownership and legal transactions. Notable individuals bearing this surname during this period include Francisca Morocho, a landowner in Cuenca in the late 17th century, and Tomás Morocho, a prominent figure in the indigenous community of Cayambe in the 18th century.
In the 19th century, the surname Morocho gained wider recognition with the birth of Juan José Morocho (1822-1904), a renowned poet and writer from Cuenca. His works celebrated the beauty of the Ecuadorian landscape and the richness of the country's indigenous cultures. Another notable figure from this era was María Morocho (1845-1917), a renowned weaver and artisan whose intricate textiles were highly sought after in the region.
As Ecuador entered the 20th century, the surname Morocho continued to be represented in various fields. One notable individual was Dolores Morocho (1908-1988), a celebrated painter and sculptor whose works captured the essence of rural life in Ecuador. Another prominent figure was Luisa Morocho (1920-2005), a respected educator who dedicated her life to improving educational opportunities for children in rural communities.
Throughout its history, the surname Morocho has been indelibly linked to the cultural heritage and diverse ethnic tapestry of Ecuador. Its origins, rooted in the Quechua language, serve as a testament to the enduring influence of indigenous cultures in the region, while its presence across centuries highlights the resilience and adaptability of this distinctive surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Morocho
Among Census respondents with the surname Morocho, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 97.4%. The next largest groups are White (1.8%) and Black (0.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Morocho 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 Morocho surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino97.4% · 3,290
- White1.8% · 62
- Black or African American0.5% · 18
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 4
- Two or more races0.1% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Morocho
Morocho 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
#10,910
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,918
+1,965 bearers (+206.2%)
Per 100,000 0.99
Rank movement Up 13,674 places
2020
#9,253
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,379
+461 bearers (+15.8%)
Per 100,000 1.13
Rank movement Up 1,657 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #24,584 | 953 | 0.35 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,910 | 2,918 | 0.99 | +1,965 bearers (+206.2%) | Up 13,674 places |
| 2020 | #9,253 | 3,379 | 1.13 | +461 bearers (+15.8%) | Up 1,657 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 Morocho 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 | #10,910 | #9,253 | 15.2% |
| Count | 2,918 | 3,379 | 15.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.99 | 1.13 | 14.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Morocho bearers went from 2,918 to 3,379 (+15.8% change). The surname moved up 1,657 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,910 to #9,253.
FAQ
Morocho surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Morocho?
Name Census estimates that about 3,875 living Americans carry the surname Morocho. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 88,453 residents.
How common is Morocho?
Morocho ranks #9,253 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.13 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 3,379 people with the surname Morocho. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,875), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.13 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.13 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 Morocho.
Has Morocho become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Morocho went from 2,918 recorded bearers to 3,379. That is an increase of 461 (+15.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #10,910 to #9,253.
What does the Census say about the background of Morocho?
Among Census respondents with the surname Morocho, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 97.4%. The next largest groups are White (1.8%) and Black (0.5%). 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 Morocho in the 2020 Census, accounting for 97.4% (3,290 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Morocho appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (97.4%), White (1.8%), Black (0.5%). 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 Morocho (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 Morocho mean?
A surname of Spanish origin referring to a person with dark hair, eyes, or complexion. 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 Morocho (1.13 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 Morocho?
You can see how common the surname Morocho is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.