2000
#7,170
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,292
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.59
Rare Last name
Oquendo
A Basque toponymic surname referring to a person from Oquendo, a municipality in Álava, Spain.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 7,020 Americans carry the last name Oquendo. That puts it at #5,483 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.05 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 48,825 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Oquendo 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
7.0K
1 in 48,825
Census rank
#5,483
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,122 bearers of the surname Oquendo in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.05 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5483rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Oquendo, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 91.2%. The next largest groups are White (5.0%) and Black (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Oquendo
The surname Oquendo originated in Spain during the medieval period. It is believed to have its roots in the Basque Country, a region straddling the border between Spain and France. The name is likely derived from the Basque words "ogi" meaning "bread" and "ondo" meaning "good" or "quality," suggesting it may have been an occupational name referring to a skilled baker or someone associated with the production of high-quality bread.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Oquendo name can be traced back to the 13th century. In 1268, a document from the town of Vitoria-Gasteiz in the Basque Country mentioned a certain "Sancho Oquendo," suggesting the name was already in use at that time.
During the 15th and 16th centuries, the Oquendo family gained prominence in various regions of Spain. One notable figure was Miguel de Oquendo y Segura (1577-1633), a Spanish naval officer and military commander who played a crucial role in several naval battles against the Dutch and the English during the Eighty Years' War and the Anglo-Spanish War. He is remembered for his bravery and tactical skills, particularly in the Battle of the Downs in 1639.
Another historical figure with the Oquendo surname was Antonio de Oquendo y Navarro (1577-1640), a Spanish soldier and governor of the Spanish Netherlands. He was involved in several military campaigns and served as the governor of the Duchy of Milan from 1628 to 1633.
In the 17th century, the Oquendo family had a strong presence in the Spanish colonial empire. Juan de Oquendo y Navarro (1598-1673) was a Spanish naval officer who served as the governor of Cartagena de Indias (present-day Colombia) from 1659 to 1663. He played a crucial role in defending the city against attacks by English forces led by Sir William Penn and Sir Christopher Myngs.
Moving into the 18th century, Pedro de Oquendo y Rebollo (1710-1786) was a Spanish naval officer and explorer who conducted several expeditions to the Pacific Ocean and contributed to the exploration and mapping of the coastlines of South America and the islands of the Pacific.
While the Oquendo surname has its roots in Spain and the Basque Country, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly Latin American countries with strong historical ties to Spain, such as Mexico, Colombia, and Argentina.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Oquendo
Among Census respondents with the surname Oquendo, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 91.2%. The next largest groups are White (5.0%) and Black (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Oquendo 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 Oquendo surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino91.2% · 5,585
- White5.0% · 306
- Black or African American2.0% · 121
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.5% · 90
- Two or more races0.3% · 17
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Oquendo
Oquendo 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
#6,263
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,455
+1,163 bearers (+27.1%)
Per 100,000 1.85
Rank movement Up 907 places
2020
#5,483
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,122
+667 bearers (+12.2%)
Per 100,000 2.05
Rank movement Up 780 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,170 | 4,292 | 1.59 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,263 | 5,455 | 1.85 | +1,163 bearers (+27.1%) | Up 907 places |
| 2020 | #5,483 | 6,122 | 2.05 | +667 bearers (+12.2%) | Up 780 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 Oquendo 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 | #6,263 | #5,483 | 12.5% |
| Count | 5,455 | 6,122 | 12.2% |
| Per 100K | 1.85 | 2.05 | 10.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Oquendo bearers went from 5,455 to 6,122 (+12.2% change). The surname moved up 780 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,263 to #5,483.
FAQ
Oquendo surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Oquendo?
Name Census estimates that about 7,020 living Americans carry the surname Oquendo. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 48,825 residents.
How common is Oquendo?
Oquendo ranks #5,483 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.05 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 6,122 people with the surname Oquendo. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (7,020), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.05 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.05 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Oquendo.
Has Oquendo become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Oquendo went from 5,455 recorded bearers to 6,122. That is an increase of 667 (+12.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #6,263 to #5,483.
What does the Census say about the background of Oquendo?
Among Census respondents with the surname Oquendo, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 91.2%. The next largest groups are White (5.0%) and Black (2.0%). 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 Oquendo in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.2% (5,585 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Oquendo appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (91.2%), White (5.0%), Black (2.0%). 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 Oquendo (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 Oquendo mean?
A Basque toponymic surname referring to a person from Oquendo, a municipality in Álava, Spain. 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 Oquendo (2.05 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 Oquendo?
Find out how many people have the last name Oquendo on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.