2010
#152,628
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Negra
A surname derived from the Spanish word for "black," likely referring to one's dark complexion or hair color.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 127 Americans carry the last name Negra. That puts it at #148,665 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,698,853 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Negra 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
127
1 in 2,698,853
Census rank
#148,665
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
111
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 111 bearers of the surname Negra in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 148665th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Negra, the largest self-reported group is White at 49.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (44.1%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Negra
The surname NEGRA originated in Spain, with its roots dating back to the 15th century. It is derived from the Spanish word "negro," which means "black" or "dark," and was likely used to describe a person with dark complexion or hair color.
In the early days, the surname NEGRA was commonly found in regions such as Andalusia, Catalonia, and Valencia, where it was often associated with families of Moorish or North African descent. Some early records suggest that the name may have been adopted by individuals who had converted from Islam to Christianity during the Reconquista period.
One of the earliest known references to the surname NEGRA can be found in the "Libro de Repartimiento de Sevilla," a document dating back to the 13th century that recorded the distribution of lands and properties in the city of Seville after its conquest by the Christian forces. This document mentions several individuals with the surname NEGRA, suggesting that the name was already in use at that time.
In the 16th century, the surname NEGRA appeared in various historical records, including church records and municipal documents. One notable individual bearing this surname was Juan Negra, a Spanish painter who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. His works can still be found in several churches and museums in Spain.
Another prominent figure with the surname NEGRA was Domingo Negra, a Spanish soldier and explorer who participated in the conquest of Mexico alongside Hernán Cortés in the early 16th century. He is believed to have been one of the first Spaniards to set foot in what is now Mexico City.
In the 18th century, the surname NEGRA gained recognition in the literary world with the Spanish playwright and poet Félix José Negra (1709-1778). His works, which included comedies and tragedies, were widely popular during his lifetime and contributed to the development of Spanish theater.
During the 19th century, the NEGRA surname was also found in various parts of Latin America, particularly in countries like Mexico, Argentina, and Cuba, where it was likely brought by Spanish settlers and immigrants.
One notable figure from this period was Miguel Negra (1810-1878), a Cuban writer and journalist who played a significant role in the country's independence movement against Spanish rule. His writings and activism contributed to the spread of nationalist sentiments and the eventual liberation of Cuba.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Negra
Among Census respondents with the surname Negra, the largest self-reported group is White at 49.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (44.1%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Negra 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 Negra surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White49.5% · 55
- Hispanic or Latino44.1% · 49
- Two or more races3.6% · 4
- Black or African American2.7% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Negra
Negra 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
#148,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
+4 bearers (+3.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 3,963 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #152,628 | 107 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #148,665 | 111 | 0.04 | +4 bearers (+3.7%) | Up 3,963 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 Negra 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 | #152,628 | #148,665 | 2.6% |
| Count | 107 | 111 | 3.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Negra bearers went from 107 to 111 (+3.7% change). The surname moved up 3,963 positions in the national ranking, going from #152,628 to #148,665.
FAQ
Negra surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Negra?
Name Census estimates that about 127 living Americans carry the surname Negra. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,698,853 residents.
How common is Negra?
Negra ranks #148,665 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 111 people with the surname Negra. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (127), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Negra.
Has Negra become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Negra went from 107 recorded bearers to 111. That is an increase of 4 (+3.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #152,628 to #148,665.
What does the Census say about the background of Negra?
Among Census respondents with the surname Negra, the largest self-reported group is White at 49.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (44.1%) and Two or More Races (3.6%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Negra in the 2020 Census, accounting for 49.5% (55 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Negra appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (49.5%), Hispanic (44.1%), Two or More Races (3.6%). 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 Negra (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 Negra mean?
A surname derived from the Spanish word for "black," likely referring to one's dark complexion or hair color. 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 Negra (0.04 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 have the last name Negra?
See how common the surname Negra is on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.