2000
#6,262
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,015
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.86
Rare Last name
Oropeza
Derived from a Basque topographic name indicating someone lived near a hill or mountain path.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 7,930 Americans carry the last name Oropeza. That puts it at #4,937 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.31 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 43,222 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Oropeza 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
7.9K
1 in 43,222
Census rank
#4,937
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,915 bearers of the surname Oropeza in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.31 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4937th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Oropeza, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 94.1%. The next largest groups are White (4.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Oropeza
The surname Oropeza is of Spanish origin, tracing its roots back to the medieval period in Spain. It is believed to have originated as a topographic name, referring to a place or region where the family first settled or resided.
One theory suggests that the name is derived from the Spanish words "oro" (gold) and "peza" (piece or portion), possibly indicating that the family's ancestral home was located in an area known for its gold mining or rich mineral deposits. Another interpretation links the name to the town of Oropesa, located in the province of Toledo, Castile-La Mancha, Spain.
Historical records indicate that the Oropeza surname appears in various Spanish documents dating back to the 13th and 14th centuries. Some of the earliest known references can be found in the census records and municipal archives of towns and villages across Spain, particularly in the regions of Castile, Aragon, and Andalusia.
One notable individual bearing the Oropeza surname was Fernán Álvarez de Oropesa, a Spanish nobleman and military commander who lived in the 15th century. He was a trusted advisor to King Juan II of Castile and played a significant role in the conquest of Granada, the last Muslim-ruled territory in the Iberian Peninsula.
Another prominent figure was Juan de Oropesa, a renowned Spanish theologian and philosopher who lived during the late 15th and early 16th centuries. He was a professor at the University of Salamanca and served as the Grand Inquisitor of Spain from 1517 to 1518.
In the 16th century, the Oropeza family established a noble lineage in Spain, with several members holding important positions in the court and military. One such figure was Pedro de Oropesa, a Spanish conquistador who participated in the conquest of Mexico alongside Hernán Cortés in the early 1500s.
During the colonial era, the Oropeza surname spread to the Spanish territories in the Americas, including Mexico, Peru, and various regions of Central and South America. Notable individuals from this period include José de Oropeza, a Spanish colonial administrator who served as the Governor of Panama in the late 17th century.
In more recent times, the Oropeza surname has been carried by several influential figures in various fields. For example, Salvador Oropeza was a Mexican artist and sculptor active in the early 20th century, known for his contributions to the Mexican Muralist movement.
The surname Oropeza continues to be prevalent in Spain, Mexico, and other Spanish-speaking countries, reflecting its rich historical and cultural heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Oropeza
Among Census respondents with the surname Oropeza, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 94.1%. The next largest groups are White (4.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Oropeza 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 Oropeza surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino94.1% · 6,509
- White4.8% · 330
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 28
- Two or more races0.3% · 24
- Black or African American0.2% · 14
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 10
Timeline
Historical Census data for Oropeza
Oropeza 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
#4,965
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,082
+2,067 bearers (+41.2%)
Per 100,000 2.40
Rank movement Up 1,297 places
2020
#4,937
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,915
-167 bearers (-2.4%)
Per 100,000 2.31
Rank movement Up 28 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,262 | 5,015 | 1.86 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,965 | 7,082 | 2.40 | +2,067 bearers (+41.2%) | Up 1,297 places |
| 2020 | #4,937 | 6,915 | 2.31 | -167 bearers (-2.4%) | Up 28 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 Oropeza 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 | #4,965 | #4,937 | 0.6% |
| Count | 7,082 | 6,915 | -2.4% |
| Per 100K | 2.40 | 2.31 | -3.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Oropeza bearers went from 7,082 to 6,915 (-2.4% change). The surname moved up 28 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,965 to #4,937.
FAQ
Oropeza surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Oropeza?
Name Census estimates that about 7,930 living Americans carry the surname Oropeza. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 43,222 residents.
How common is Oropeza?
Oropeza ranks #4,937 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.31 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 6,915 people with the surname Oropeza. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (7,930), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.31 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.31 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 Oropeza.
Has Oropeza become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Oropeza went from 7,082 recorded bearers to 6,915. That is a decrease of 167 (-2.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #4,965 to #4,937.
What does the Census say about the background of Oropeza?
Among Census respondents with the surname Oropeza, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 94.1%. The next largest groups are White (4.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.4%). 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 Oropeza in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.1% (6,509 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Oropeza appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (94.1%), White (4.8%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.4%). 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 Oropeza (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 Oropeza mean?
Derived from a Basque topographic name indicating someone lived near a hill or mountain path. 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 Oropeza (2.31 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 Oropeza?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.