2000
#17,114
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,530
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.57
Rare Last name
Mundo
A Spanish surname meaning "world," likely referring to a person who was well-traveled or knowledgeable.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,443 Americans carry the last name Mundo. That puts it at #13,619 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.71 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 140,301 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mundo 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
2.4K
1 in 140,301
Census rank
#13,619
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,130 bearers of the surname Mundo in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.71 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13619th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mundo, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 77.5%. The next largest groups are White (13.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mundo
The surname Mundo is of Spanish origin, derived from the Spanish word "mundo" meaning "world." This name likely originated in Spain during the Middle Ages, when surnames became more widespread and were often derived from personal characteristics, occupations, or places of origin.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Mundo surname can be found in the records of the Inquisition in Spain from the 15th century. During this time, the Mundo family was persecuted for their suspected Jewish ancestry, which was a common occurrence for many families in Spain at the time.
In the 16th century, the Mundo surname appears in various historical records, including baptismal and marriage records in the regions of Andalusia and Castile. Some notable individuals bearing this surname during this period include Juan Mundo (1505-1572), a Spanish composer and musician, and Pedro Mundo (1540-1615), a Franciscan friar and missionary who traveled to the Americas.
As the Spanish Empire expanded, the Mundo surname spread to other parts of the world, particularly to the Americas. In the 17th century, there are records of individuals with the Mundo surname in Mexico, Guatemala, and other Spanish colonies in the New World.
One of the most prominent figures bearing the Mundo surname was Tomás Mundo (1790-1863), a Mexican military officer and politician who played a significant role in the Mexican War of Independence. He served as the governor of the state of Puebla and was a close ally of the Mexican leader Agustín de Iturbide.
Another notable individual was Andrés Mundo (1825-1899), a Mexican historian and writer who authored several works on the history and culture of Mexico. His book "Historia de la Civilización Mexicana" (History of Mexican Civilization) was widely acclaimed and is considered a seminal work in the field of Mexican history.
In more recent times, the Mundo surname has been found in various parts of the world, including Spain, Latin America, and even in some parts of the United States and other countries with significant Hispanic populations.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mundo
Among Census respondents with the surname Mundo, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 77.5%. The next largest groups are White (13.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Mundo 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 Mundo surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino77.5% · 1,650
- White13.9% · 296
- Asian and Pacific Islander4.8% · 103
- Two or more races2.1% · 44
- Black or African American1.5% · 31
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mundo
Mundo 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
#13,746
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,201
+671 bearers (+43.9%)
Per 100,000 0.75
Rank movement Up 3,368 places
2020
#13,619
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,130
-71 bearers (-3.2%)
Per 100,000 0.71
Rank movement Up 127 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #17,114 | 1,530 | 0.57 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,746 | 2,201 | 0.75 | +671 bearers (+43.9%) | Up 3,368 places |
| 2020 | #13,619 | 2,130 | 0.71 | -71 bearers (-3.2%) | Up 127 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 Mundo 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 | #13,746 | #13,619 | 0.9% |
| Count | 2,201 | 2,130 | -3.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.75 | 0.71 | -5.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mundo bearers went from 2,201 to 2,130 (-3.2% change). The surname moved up 127 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,746 to #13,619.
FAQ
Mundo surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mundo?
Name Census estimates that about 2,443 living Americans carry the surname Mundo. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 140,301 residents.
How common is Mundo?
Mundo ranks #13,619 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.71 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 2,130 people with the surname Mundo. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,443), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.71 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.71 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 Mundo.
Has Mundo become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mundo went from 2,201 recorded bearers to 2,130. That is a decrease of 71 (-3.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #13,746 to #13,619.
What does the Census say about the background of Mundo?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mundo, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 77.5%. The next largest groups are White (13.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.8%). 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 Mundo in the 2020 Census, accounting for 77.5% (1,650 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mundo appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (77.5%), White (13.9%), Asian/Pacific Islander (4.8%). 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 Mundo (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 Mundo mean?
A Spanish surname meaning "world," likely referring to a person who was well-traveled or knowledgeable. 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 Mundo (0.71 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 Mundo?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans have the surname Mundo on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.