2000
#306
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 90,208
First available Census row
Per 100,000 33.44
Common Last name
Nunez
A patronymic surname of Spanish origin, meaning "son of Nuño," derived from the Latin name "Nonius."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 147,807 Americans carry the last name Nunez. That puts it at #228 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 43.12 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,319 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Nunez 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 Nunez with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
148K
1 in 2,319
Census rank
#228
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
43.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
129K
common in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 128,895 bearers of the surname Nunez in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 43.12 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 228th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Nunez, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 92.3%. The next largest groups are White (5.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Nunez
The surname Nunez has its origins in Spain and Portugal, derived from the Spanish word "nuño" which means "nun's son." It is believed to have first emerged in the 12th century as a patronymic name, indicating the child of a nun.
During the Middle Ages, it was not uncommon for children born out of wedlock to be given surnames reflecting their parentage or circumstances of birth. The name Nunez likely arose from such situations, where a child was born to a nun and given the surname indicating their maternal connection.
One of the earliest known references to the surname Nunez can be found in the Repartimiento de Sevilla, a record of land distribution in Seville, Spain, following the city's reconquest from the Moors in 1248. This document mentions several individuals bearing the name Nunez, suggesting the surname's widespread use by that time.
In the 14th century, a notable figure named Pedro Nunez de Villavicencio (1320-1380) was a Spanish explorer and cartographer who contributed significantly to the development of navigation techniques. His work on celestial navigation and the use of astronomical instruments greatly influenced future maritime exploration.
Another prominent individual with the surname Nunez was Pedro Nunez de Avendano (1555-1615), a Spanish jurist and writer. He served as a judge in the Royal Chancery of Granada and authored several legal treatises that were influential in their time.
In the realm of literature, Alonso Nunez de Reinoso (1555-1610) was a Spanish poet and dramatist who gained recognition for his works during the Golden Age of Spanish literature. His plays and poems were widely acclaimed and contributed to the cultural renaissance of the era.
Moving to the New World, Vasco Nunez de Balboa (1475-1519) was a Spanish explorer and conquistador who is renowned for being the first European to cross the Isthmus of Panama and catch sight of the Pacific Ocean from the Americas. His expedition led to the exploration and eventual colonization of the region by the Spanish.
One cannot discuss the surname Nunez without mentioning the Portuguese navigator and explorer Pedro Alvares Cabral (1467-1520). Although his surname was Cabral, his mother's surname was Nunez. He is best known for commanding the Portuguese expedition that discovered Brazil in 1500, a pivotal event in the colonization of the Americas.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Nunez
Among Census respondents with the surname Nunez, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 92.3%. The next largest groups are White (5.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Nunez 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 Nunez surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino92.3% · 118,997
- White5.2% · 6,738
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1,308
- Black or African American0.8% · 1,051
- Two or more races0.3% · 451
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 350
Timeline
Historical Census data for Nunez
Nunez 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
#242
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 125,350
+35,142 bearers (+39.0%)
Per 100,000 42.49
Rank movement Up 64 places
2020
#228
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 128,895
+3,545 bearers (+2.8%)
Per 100,000 43.12
Rank movement Up 14 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #306 | 90,208 | 33.44 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #242 | 125,350 | 42.49 | +35,142 bearers (+39.0%) | Up 64 places |
| 2020 | #228 | 128,895 | 43.12 | +3,545 bearers (+2.8%) | Up 14 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 Nunez 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 | #242 | #228 | 5.8% |
| Count | 125,350 | 128,895 | 2.8% |
| Per 100K | 42.49 | 43.12 | 1.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Nunez bearers went from 125,350 to 128,895 (+2.8% change). The surname moved up 14 positions in the national ranking, going from #242 to #228.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Nunez
FAQ
Nunez surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Nunez?
Name Census estimates that about 147,807 living Americans carry the surname Nunez. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,319 residents.
How common is Nunez?
Nunez ranks #228 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Common." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 43.12 per 100,000 residents, which is about 43 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 128,895 people with the surname Nunez. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (147,807), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 43.12 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 43.12 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 43 of them to have the surname Nunez.
Has Nunez become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Nunez went from 125,350 recorded bearers to 128,895. That is an increase of 3,545 (+2.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #242 to #228.
What does the Census say about the background of Nunez?
Among Census respondents with the surname Nunez, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 92.3%. The next largest groups are White (5.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%). 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 Nunez in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.3% (118,997 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Nunez appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (92.3%), White (5.2%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%). 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 Nunez (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 Nunez mean?
A patronymic surname of Spanish origin, meaning "son of Nuño," derived from the Latin name "Nonius." 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 Nunez (43.12 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 surname Nunez?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.