2010
#157,234
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Mundaca
A Spanish surname potentially derived from a Basque place name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 119 Americans carry the last name Mundaca. That puts it at #153,590 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,880,289 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mundaca 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
119
1 in 2,880,289
Census rank
#153,590
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
104
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 104 bearers of the surname Mundaca in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 153590th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mundaca, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 86.5%. The next largest groups are White (8.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mundaca
The surname Mundaca is of Spanish origin, with its roots traced back to the Basque region of northern Spain and southwestern France during the medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Basque word "munda," meaning "hill" or "mountain," suggesting that the name may have initially referred to a person living on or near a hill or mountainous area.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Mundaca can be found in the "Becerro de las Behetrias" (Book of Behetrias), a medieval Spanish document dating back to the 14th century. This document was a compilation of records related to land ownership and taxation in the region of Old Castile, which encompassed parts of modern-day Spain.
In the 16th century, the name Mundaca appeared in several historical records from the Basque Country, such as parish registers and municipal archives. One notable individual bearing this surname was Juan de Mundaca, a Basque navigator and explorer who accompanied Ferdinand Magellan on his famous voyage around the world in 1519-1522.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, the name Mundaca spread beyond the Basque region as families migrated to other parts of Spain and its colonies in the Americas. In the 19th century, a Basque immigrant named Ramón Mundaca (1805-1883) settled in California and became a prominent rancher and landowner, contributing to the establishment of the Mundaca surname in the United States.
Another notable figure with the surname Mundaca was José María Mundaca (1871-1937), a Colombian politician and diplomat who served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs and as the ambassador to several countries, including the United States and Spain.
In the 20th century, Tomás Mundaca (1911-1995) was a renowned Chilean artist and painter, known for his vibrant and colorful depictions of rural life and landscapes in his home country.
While the surname Mundaca is relatively uncommon globally, it continues to be present in various parts of the world, particularly in Spain, Latin America, and areas with significant Basque communities or immigration from Spanish-speaking countries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mundaca
Among Census respondents with the surname Mundaca, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 86.5%. The next largest groups are White (8.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Mundaca 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 Mundaca surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino86.5% · 90
- White8.7% · 9
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.9% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 1
- Two or more races1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mundaca
Mundaca appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#153,590
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
+1 bearers (+1.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 3,644 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #157,234 | 103 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #153,590 | 104 | 0.03 | +1 bearers (+1.0%) | Up 3,644 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 Mundaca 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 | #157,234 | #153,590 | 2.3% |
| Count | 103 | 104 | 1.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.03 | 16.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mundaca bearers went from 103 to 104 (+1.0% change). The surname moved up 3,644 positions in the national ranking, going from #157,234 to #153,590.
FAQ
Mundaca surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mundaca?
Name Census estimates that about 119 living Americans carry the surname Mundaca. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,880,289 residents.
How common is Mundaca?
Mundaca ranks #153,590 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 104 people with the surname Mundaca. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (119), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Mundaca.
Has Mundaca become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mundaca went from 103 recorded bearers to 104. That is an increase of 1 (+1.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #157,234 to #153,590.
What does the Census say about the background of Mundaca?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mundaca, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 86.5%. The next largest groups are White (8.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.9%). 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 Mundaca in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.5% (90 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mundaca appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (86.5%), White (8.7%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.9%). 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 Mundaca (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 Mundaca mean?
A Spanish surname potentially derived from a Basque place name. 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 Mundaca (0.03 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 are called Mundaca?
For a quick modern take, check how common the surname Mundaca is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.