2010
#132,206
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 128
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Nopal
A surname derived from the Spanish word for a type of cactus.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 138 Americans carry the last name Nopal. That puts it at #142,049 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,483,727 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Nopal 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
138
1 in 2,483,727
Census rank
#142,049
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
120
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 120 bearers of the surname Nopal in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142049th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Nopal, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 94.2%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (3.3%) and White (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Nopal
The surname "NOPAL" is believed to have originated in Mexico, where it is derived from the Nahuatl word "nopalli," meaning "prickly pear cactus." The Nahuatl language was spoken by the Aztecs and other indigenous peoples of central Mexico.
The earliest known references to the surname "NOPAL" can be traced back to the 16th century, during the Spanish colonial era in Mexico. It is likely that the name was originally used to identify individuals or families who lived in areas where the prickly pear cactus was abundant or who were involved in the cultivation or processing of this plant.
In the 17th and 18th centuries, the surname "NOPAL" appeared in various historical records and documents from the region, including parish records, land grants, and census records. One notable example is Juan Nopal, a landowner and rancher who lived in the state of Jalisco in the mid-18th century.
As the Spanish colonial influence spread throughout Mexico and other parts of the Americas, the surname "NOPAL" began to appear in different regions and countries. For instance, in the 19th century, there are records of individuals with the surname "NOPAL" living in areas such as Texas and California, which were formerly part of Mexico.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who have carried the surname "NOPAL." These include:
1. José Nopal (1820-1895), a Mexican politician and diplomat who served as the Mexican ambassador to the United States during the 1870s.
2. María Nopal (1855-1932), a Mexican artist known for her intricate embroidery work and textile designs.
3. Arturo Nopal (1900-1975), a Mexican writer and poet who was part of the literary movement known as the "Contemporary Group."
4. Enrique Nopal (1925-2010), a Mexican archaeologist who made significant contributions to the study of pre-Columbian cultures in Mesoamerica.
5. Lucía Nopal (born 1968), a Mexican environmental activist and advocate for the preservation of traditional farming practices and indigenous land rights.
While the surname "NOPAL" has its roots in Mexico and the indigenous cultures of the region, it has since spread to various parts of the world due to migration and cultural exchange. The name continues to carry a connection to the iconic prickly pear cactus and the rich cultural heritage of Mexico.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Nopal
Among Census respondents with the surname Nopal, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 94.2%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (3.3%) and White (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Nopal 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 Nopal surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino94.2% · 113
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.3% · 4
- White2.5% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Nopal
Nopal 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
#142,049
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
-8 bearers (-6.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 9,843 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #132,206 | 128 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #142,049 | 120 | 0.04 | -8 bearers (-6.3%) | Down 9,843 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 Nopal 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 | #132,206 | #142,049 | -7.4% |
| Count | 128 | 120 | -6.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Nopal bearers went from 128 to 120 (-6.3% change). The surname moved down 9,843 positions in the national ranking, going from #132,206 to #142,049.
FAQ
Nopal surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Nopal?
Name Census estimates that about 138 living Americans carry the surname Nopal. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,483,727 residents.
How common is Nopal?
Nopal ranks #142,049 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 120 people with the surname Nopal. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (138), 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 Nopal.
Has Nopal become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Nopal went from 128 recorded bearers to 120. That is a decrease of 8 (-6.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #132,206 to #142,049.
What does the Census say about the background of Nopal?
Among Census respondents with the surname Nopal, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 94.2%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (3.3%) and White (2.5%). 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 Nopal in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.2% (113 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Nopal appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (94.2%), Asian/Pacific Islander (3.3%), White (2.5%). 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 Nopal (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 Nopal mean?
A surname derived from the Spanish word for a type of cactus. 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 Nopal (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 share the surname Nopal?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.