2000
#4,803
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,720
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.49
Uncommon Last name
Nolasco
A Spanish surname derived from the Latin name "Velascus," meaning "raven" or "crow."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 13,762 Americans carry the last name Nolasco. That puts it at #2,933 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 4.02 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 24,906 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Nolasco 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
14K
1 in 24,906
Census rank
#2,933
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
4.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
12K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 12,001 bearers of the surname Nolasco in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 4.02 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2933rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Nolasco, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 88.5%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (5.7%) and White (4.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Nolasco
The surname Nolasco is believed to have originated in Spain. It is derived from the Latin name Noëlaschus, which was a personal name meaning "feast of the Nativity". The earliest recorded instances of the name date back to the 12th century in Catalonia, a region in northeastern Spain.
During the Middle Ages, the name Nolasco was commonly found in various parts of Spain, particularly in the regions of Catalonia, Valencia, and Aragon. It is thought to have been introduced into these areas by French-speaking settlers who arrived during the Reconquista, the centuries-long period of Muslim rule in the Iberian Peninsula.
One of the earliest recorded references to the name Nolasco can be found in the Cartulary of Poblet, a medieval manuscript from the 12th century that contains documents related to the Cistercian monastery of Poblet in Catalonia. This cartulary mentions several individuals with the surname Nolasco, suggesting that the name was already established in the region during that time.
The name gained particular prominence in the 13th century due to its association with Saint Peter Nolasco, a Frenchman who founded the Mercedarian Order in Barcelona in 1218. Saint Peter Nolasco (1182-1256) was a prominent figure in the Catholic Church and played a significant role in the redemption of Christian captives from Muslim rulers during the Reconquista.
Another notable figure with the surname Nolasco was Pedro Nolasco de Vázquez (1556-1637), a Spanish soldier and colonial administrator who served as the Governor of the Philippines from 1619 to 1624. He played a crucial role in the Spanish colonization of the Philippines and the establishment of Spanish rule in the region.
Other notable individuals with the surname Nolasco include:
1. Fernando Nolasco (1510-1579), a Spanish conquistador and explorer who participated in the conquest of Mexico and later became a prominent landowner in New Spain.
2. Joaquín Nolasco (1717-1787), a Spanish painter and engraver known for his religious works and portraiture.
3. Mariano Nolasco (1795-1862), a Mexican politician and military leader who served as the Governor of Puebla and fought in the Mexican-American War.
4. María Teresa Nolasco (1875-1959), a Peruvian writer and feminist activist who advocated for women's rights and education in Peru.
5. José Nolasco (1910-1993), a Mexican artist and muralist known for his works depicting scenes of everyday life and social commentary.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Nolasco
Among Census respondents with the surname Nolasco, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 88.5%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (5.7%) and White (4.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Nolasco 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 Nolasco surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino88.5% · 10,620
- Asian and Pacific Islander5.7% · 679
- White4.6% · 554
- Two or more races0.6% · 68
- Black or African American0.5% · 55
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 25
Timeline
Historical Census data for Nolasco
Nolasco 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
#3,102
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,609
+4,889 bearers (+72.8%)
Per 100,000 3.94
Rank movement Up 1,701 places
2020
#2,933
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,001
+392 bearers (+3.4%)
Per 100,000 4.02
Rank movement Up 169 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,803 | 6,720 | 2.49 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,102 | 11,609 | 3.94 | +4,889 bearers (+72.8%) | Up 1,701 places |
| 2020 | #2,933 | 12,001 | 4.02 | +392 bearers (+3.4%) | Up 169 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 Nolasco 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 | #3,102 | #2,933 | 5.4% |
| Count | 11,609 | 12,001 | 3.4% |
| Per 100K | 3.94 | 4.02 | 1.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Nolasco bearers went from 11,609 to 12,001 (+3.4% change). The surname moved up 169 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,102 to #2,933.
FAQ
Nolasco surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Nolasco?
Name Census estimates that about 13,762 living Americans carry the surname Nolasco. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 24,906 residents.
How common is Nolasco?
Nolasco ranks #2,933 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 4.02 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 12,001 people with the surname Nolasco. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (13,762), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 4.02 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 4.02 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Nolasco.
Has Nolasco become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Nolasco went from 11,609 recorded bearers to 12,001. That is an increase of 392 (+3.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #3,102 to #2,933.
What does the Census say about the background of Nolasco?
Among Census respondents with the surname Nolasco, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 88.5%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (5.7%) and White (4.6%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Nolasco in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.5% (10,620 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Nolasco appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (88.5%), Asian/Pacific Islander (5.7%), White (4.6%). 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 Nolasco (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 Nolasco mean?
A Spanish surname derived from the Latin name "Velascus," meaning "raven" or "crow." 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 Nolasco (4.02 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 Nolasco?
If you just want to know how many people have the last name Nolasco, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.