2000
#1,340
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 24,203
First available Census row
Per 100,000 8.97
Uncommon Last name
Muniz
A Spanish surname derived from the personal name Muño or Munio, likely meaning "desires" or "wishes."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 35,240 Americans carry the last name Muniz. That puts it at #1,120 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 10.28 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 9,726 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Muniz 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
35K
1 in 9,726
Census rank
#1,120
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
10.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
31K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 30,731 bearers of the surname Muniz in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 10.28 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1120th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Muniz, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 90.1%. The next largest groups are White (8.1%) and Black (0.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Muniz
The surname Muniz originates from Spain and Portugal, emerging in the medieval period around the 12th century. It is derived from the Latin name "Munnio" or "Munnius", which was a personal name used in the Iberian Peninsula during the Roman era. This name is believed to have its roots in the Germanic word "mund", meaning "protector" or "guardian".
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Muniz can be found in the Cartulario de Cardeña, a medieval manuscript from the 10th century, which mentions a person named "Munio Nuniz". This suggests that the surname was already in use by that time, possibly evolving from the personal name Munio.
In the 13th century, the name Muniz appeared in various official documents and records, such as the Libro Becerro de las Behetrías de Castilla, which listed landowners and their properties. One notable individual from this time period was Pedro Martínez Muniz, a Spanish military leader who fought against the Moors in the Reconquista.
The Muniz surname has also been associated with several notable figures throughout history. In the 15th century, Fernán Muniz, a Spanish poet and courtier, was born in Valladolid and served under King Juan II of Castile. Another important figure was Pedro Muniz Godoy, a 16th-century Spanish explorer and conquistador who accompanied Hernán Cortés in the conquest of Mexico.
During the 17th century, Antonio Muniz Hidalgo, a Spanish painter and engraver, gained recognition for his religious art and portraits. In the 18th century, José Muñiz Ramos, a Spanish priest and historian, wrote extensively about the history of the Canary Islands.
Another noteworthy individual was Francisco Muñiz Miranda, a 19th-century Cuban writer and journalist who played a significant role in the Cuban independence movement against Spanish colonial rule. He was born in 1828 and became a prominent figure in the fight for Cuban freedom.
While the Muniz surname has its roots in Spain and Portugal, it has since spread to other parts of the world, including Latin America and beyond, due to migration and cultural exchange.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Muniz
Among Census respondents with the surname Muniz, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 90.1%. The next largest groups are White (8.1%) and Black (0.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Muniz 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 Muniz surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino90.1% · 27,690
- White8.1% · 2,480
- Black or African American0.5% · 166
- Two or more races0.5% · 145
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 136
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 114
Timeline
Historical Census data for Muniz
Muniz 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
#1,147
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 30,695
+6,492 bearers (+26.8%)
Per 100,000 10.41
Rank movement Up 193 places
2020
#1,120
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 30,731
+36 bearers (+0.1%)
Per 100,000 10.28
Rank movement Up 27 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,340 | 24,203 | 8.97 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,147 | 30,695 | 10.41 | +6,492 bearers (+26.8%) | Up 193 places |
| 2020 | #1,120 | 30,731 | 10.28 | +36 bearers (+0.1%) | Up 27 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 Muniz 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 | #1,147 | #1,120 | 2.4% |
| Count | 30,695 | 30,731 | 0.1% |
| Per 100K | 10.41 | 10.28 | -1.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Muniz bearers went from 30,695 to 30,731 (+0.1% change). The surname moved up 27 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,147 to #1,120.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Muniz
FAQ
Muniz surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Muniz?
Name Census estimates that about 35,240 living Americans carry the surname Muniz. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 9,726 residents.
How common is Muniz?
Muniz ranks #1,120 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 10.28 per 100,000 residents, which is about 10 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 30,731 people with the surname Muniz. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (35,240), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 10.28 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 10.28 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 10 of them to have the surname Muniz.
Has Muniz become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Muniz went from 30,695 recorded bearers to 30,731. That is an increase of 36 (+0.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #1,147 to #1,120.
What does the Census say about the background of Muniz?
Among Census respondents with the surname Muniz, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 90.1%. The next largest groups are White (8.1%) 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 Muniz in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.1% (27,690 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Muniz appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (90.1%), White (8.1%), 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 Muniz (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 Muniz mean?
A Spanish surname derived from the personal name Muño or Munio, likely meaning "desires" or "wishes." 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 Muniz (10.28 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 Muniz?
You can see how many people are called Muniz on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.