2000
#2,961
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,188
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.15
Uncommon Last name
Negrete
A Spanish surname derived from a place name meaning "a grove of black poplar trees."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 16,607 Americans carry the last name Negrete. That puts it at #2,439 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 4.85 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 20,639 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Negrete 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
17K
1 in 20,639
Census rank
#2,439
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
4.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
14K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 14,482 bearers of the surname Negrete in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 4.85 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2439th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Negrete, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 93.5%. The next largest groups are White (5.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Negrete
The surname Negrete has its origins in Spain, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Spanish word "negreto," which means "little black" or "dark-skinned." This name was likely given as a descriptive nickname to someone with a darker complexion or darker hair color.
In the early days, surnames were often derived from physical characteristics, occupations, or places of origin. The name Negrete first appeared in historical records during the 13th and 14th centuries in various regions of Spain, such as Andalusia, Castile, and Aragon.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Negrete can be found in the Libro de las Behetrías, a medieval document from the 14th century that listed landowners and their properties in the Kingdom of Castile. The name was also mentioned in the Cartulario de Valpuesta, a collection of medieval documents from the monastery of Valpuesta in Burgos, Spain.
During the 15th century, Juan Negrete y Mendoza (1440-1504) was a prominent Spanish military leader who served under the Catholic Monarchs, Ferdinand and Isabella. He played a crucial role in the conquest of Granada, the last Muslim-ruled territory in Spain.
In the 16th century, Diego Negrete (1505-1570) was a Spanish conquistador and explorer who participated in the conquest of Mexico under Hernán Cortés. He later became the governor of Pánuco, a province in the Spanish colonial territory of New Spain (present-day Mexico).
Another notable figure with the surname Negrete was Pedro Negrete (1598-1667), a Spanish painter and engraver who worked during the Baroque period. He was known for his religious paintings and engravings, many of which can be found in churches and museums across Spain.
During the 18th century, José María Negrete (1788-1847) was a Spanish military officer and politician who fought in the Peninsular War against the French invasion of Spain. He later served as the Prime Minister of Spain from 1836 to 1837.
In the 19th century, Manuel Negrete (1841-1909) was a Mexican lawyer, politician, and diplomat who served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs during the presidency of Porfirio Díaz. He played a significant role in resolving border disputes between Mexico and the United States.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Negrete
Among Census respondents with the surname Negrete, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 93.5%. The next largest groups are White (5.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Negrete 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 Negrete surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino93.5% · 13,539
- White5.5% · 798
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 43
- Two or more races0.3% · 42
- Black or African American0.2% · 30
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 30
Timeline
Historical Census data for Negrete
Negrete 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
#2,384
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 15,245
+4,057 bearers (+36.3%)
Per 100,000 5.17
Rank movement Up 577 places
2020
#2,439
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 14,482
-763 bearers (-5.0%)
Per 100,000 4.85
Rank movement Down 55 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,961 | 11,188 | 4.15 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,384 | 15,245 | 5.17 | +4,057 bearers (+36.3%) | Up 577 places |
| 2020 | #2,439 | 14,482 | 4.85 | -763 bearers (-5.0%) | Down 55 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 Negrete 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 | #2,384 | #2,439 | -2.3% |
| Count | 15,245 | 14,482 | -5.0% |
| Per 100K | 5.17 | 4.85 | -6.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Negrete bearers went from 15,245 to 14,482 (-5.0% change). The surname moved down 55 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,384 to #2,439.
FAQ
Negrete surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Negrete?
Name Census estimates that about 16,607 living Americans carry the surname Negrete. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 20,639 residents.
How common is Negrete?
Negrete ranks #2,439 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 4.85 per 100,000 residents, which is about 5 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 14,482 people with the surname Negrete. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (16,607), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 4.85 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 4.85 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 5 of them to have the surname Negrete.
Has Negrete become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Negrete went from 15,245 recorded bearers to 14,482. That is a decrease of 763 (-5.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,384 to #2,439.
What does the Census say about the background of Negrete?
Among Census respondents with the surname Negrete, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 93.5%. The next largest groups are White (5.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.3%). 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 Negrete in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.5% (13,539 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Negrete appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (93.5%), White (5.5%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.3%). 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 Negrete (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 Negrete mean?
A Spanish surname derived from a place name meaning "a grove of black poplar trees." 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 Negrete (4.85 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 Americans have the surname Negrete?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.