2000
#232
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117,774
First available Census row
Per 100,000 43.66
Common Last name
Munoz
A Spanish surname derived from the personal name Muño or Muñio, which is of uncertain origin and meaning.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 179,893 Americans carry the last name Munoz. That puts it at #164 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 52.48 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,905 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Munoz 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Munoz with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
180K
1 in 1,905
Census rank
#164
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
52.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
157K
common in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 156,875 bearers of the surname Munoz in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 52.48 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 164th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Munoz, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 92.8%. The next largest groups are White (5.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Munoz
The surname Munoz originates from Spain and dates back to the 12th century. It is a patronymic name derived from the personal name Muño, which is a Spanish form of the Latin name Munnius. The name Munnius is believed to have its roots in the Germanic word "munt," meaning protection or defense.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname Munoz can be found in medieval Spanish documents and records. One notable example is Pedro Munoz, a prominent military leader who served under King Alfonso VIII of Castile in the late 12th century. He played a crucial role in the Reconquista, the Christian conquest of the Iberian Peninsula from the Moors.
In the 13th century, the name appeared in the "Libro de las Behetrías," a historical document detailing the landholdings and taxation systems in the kingdom of Castile. This document mentions several individuals with the surname Munoz, indicating their presence in various regions of Spain at that time.
The surname Munoz is often associated with the town of Muñoz, located in the province of Burgos, Spain. It is believed that the town's name may have originated from an early bearer of the Munoz surname who held significant influence or landholdings in the area.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals with the surname Munoz:
1. Pedro Munoz Seca (1881-1936), a renowned Spanish playwright and author, known for his comedic works and contributions to the Spanish theater.
2. Joaquin Munoz Pina (1564-1628), a Spanish painter and sculptor who worked in the Mannerist and Baroque styles.
3. Jacinto Munoz y Rengel (1565-1628), a Spanish Jesuit priest and missionary who established missions in the Philippines and Japan.
4. Lucia Munoz (c. 1520-1598), a Spanish noblewoman and philanthropist, known for her support of educational and charitable initiatives.
5. Mariano Munoz de Las Posadas (1843-1905), a Mexican politician and diplomat who served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs for Mexico in the late 19th century.
The surname Munoz has also spread to other parts of the world, particularly Latin America, due to Spanish colonization and migration. It has become a common surname in countries like Mexico, Argentina, and Colombia, among others.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Munoz
Among Census respondents with the surname Munoz, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 92.8%. The next largest groups are White (5.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Munoz 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 Munoz surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino92.8% · 145,554
- White5.2% · 8,112
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 1,704
- Black or African American0.4% · 592
- Two or more races0.3% · 549
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 364
Timeline
Historical Census data for Munoz
Munoz 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
#168
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 158,483
+40,709 bearers (+34.6%)
Per 100,000 53.73
Rank movement Up 64 places
2020
#164
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 156,875
-1,608 bearers (-1.0%)
Per 100,000 52.48
Rank movement Up 4 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #232 | 117,774 | 43.66 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #168 | 158,483 | 53.73 | +40,709 bearers (+34.6%) | Up 64 places |
| 2020 | #164 | 156,875 | 52.48 | -1,608 bearers (-1.0%) | Up 4 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 Munoz 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 | #168 | #164 | 2.4% |
| Count | 158,483 | 156,875 | -1.0% |
| Per 100K | 53.73 | 52.48 | -2.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Munoz bearers went from 158,483 to 156,875 (-1.0% change). The surname moved up 4 positions in the national ranking, going from #168 to #164.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Munoz
FAQ
Munoz surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Munoz?
Name Census estimates that about 179,893 living Americans carry the surname Munoz. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,905 residents.
How common is Munoz?
Munoz ranks #164 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Common." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 52.48 per 100,000 residents, which is about 52 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 156,875 people with the surname Munoz. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (179,893), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 52.48 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 52.48 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 52 of them to have the surname Munoz.
Has Munoz become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Munoz went from 158,483 recorded bearers to 156,875. That is a decrease of 1,608 (-1.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #168 to #164.
What does the Census say about the background of Munoz?
Among Census respondents with the surname Munoz, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 92.8%. The next largest groups are White (5.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.1%). 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 Munoz in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.8% (145,554 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Munoz appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (92.8%), White (5.2%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.1%). 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 Munoz (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 Munoz mean?
A Spanish surname derived from the personal name Muño or Muñio, which is of uncertain origin and meaning. 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 Munoz (52.48 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 Munoz?
Find out how common the surname Munoz is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.