2000
#3,492
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,359
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.47
Uncommon Last name
Padron
A Spanish occupational surname referring to a person who collected taxes or managed a landlord's estate.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 14,998 Americans carry the last name Padron. That puts it at #2,691 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 4.38 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 22,853 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Padron 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
15K
1 in 22,853
Census rank
#2,691
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
4.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
13K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 13,079 bearers of the surname Padron in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 4.38 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2691st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Padron, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 92.0%. The next largest groups are White (5.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Padron
The surname Padron has its origins in the Spanish language and can be traced back to the medieval period in the Iberian Peninsula. It is believed to have derived from the Spanish word "padrón," which refers to a place of origin or a geographical location.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Padron can be found in the Becerro de las Behetrías, a medieval census document compiled in the late 14th century. This document mentions individuals with the surname Padron residing in various regions of Spain, particularly in the northern provinces.
The name Padron is closely associated with the town of Padrón, located in the province of A Coruña, Galicia, Spain. This town was historically significant as it was believed to be the place where the apostle St. James the Great first preached Christianity in the Iberian Peninsula. The town's name is derived from the Latin word "petronio," meaning "stone," referring to the rock formations in the area.
One of the earliest notable figures with the surname Padron was Diego Padron, a Spanish navigator and cartographer who lived in the early 15th century. He is credited with creating one of the earliest known maps of the Atlantic Ocean, which played a crucial role in the exploration and discovery of new lands.
Another prominent individual with the Padron surname was Juan Antonio Padron, a Spanish writer and journalist who lived in the 18th century (1722-1786). He was known for his satirical works and his contributions to the development of Spanish literature during the Enlightenment period.
In the 19th century, José Padron y Navarrete (1793-1864) was a Spanish military officer and politician who served as the Governor of Puerto Rico from 1848 to 1851. He played a significant role in the administration of the island during a period of political and social turmoil.
During the 20th century, one of the most notable figures with the Padron surname was Blas Padron Lopez (1890-1936), a Spanish anarchist and trade union leader who was actively involved in the Spanish Civil War. He was executed by Nationalist forces in 1936 for his involvement in the conflict.
Another individual of note is Basilio Martin Padron (1912-1983), a Spanish painter and sculptor who was renowned for his abstract and avant-garde works. He was a prominent figure in the Spanish art scene during the latter half of the 20th century, and his works are displayed in various museums and galleries around the world.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Padron
Among Census respondents with the surname Padron, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 92.0%. The next largest groups are White (5.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Padron 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 Padron surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino92.0% · 12,037
- White5.7% · 750
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.2% · 161
- Black or African American0.4% · 56
- Two or more races0.3% · 43
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 32
Timeline
Historical Census data for Padron
Padron 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
#2,751
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 13,114
+3,755 bearers (+40.1%)
Per 100,000 4.45
Rank movement Up 741 places
2020
#2,691
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 13,079
-35 bearers (-0.3%)
Per 100,000 4.38
Rank movement Up 60 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,492 | 9,359 | 3.47 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,751 | 13,114 | 4.45 | +3,755 bearers (+40.1%) | Up 741 places |
| 2020 | #2,691 | 13,079 | 4.38 | -35 bearers (-0.3%) | Up 60 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 Padron 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 | #2,751 | #2,691 | 2.2% |
| Count | 13,114 | 13,079 | -0.3% |
| Per 100K | 4.45 | 4.38 | -1.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Padron bearers went from 13,114 to 13,079 (-0.3% change). The surname moved up 60 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,751 to #2,691.
FAQ
Padron surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Padron?
Name Census estimates that about 14,998 living Americans carry the surname Padron. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 22,853 residents.
How common is Padron?
Padron ranks #2,691 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 4.38 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 13,079 people with the surname Padron. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (14,998), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 4.38 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 4.38 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 Padron.
Has Padron become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Padron went from 13,114 recorded bearers to 13,079. That is a decrease of 35 (-0.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #2,751 to #2,691.
What does the Census say about the background of Padron?
Among Census respondents with the surname Padron, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 92.0%. The next largest groups are White (5.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.2%). 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 Padron in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.0% (12,037 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Padron appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (92.0%), White (5.7%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.2%). 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 Padron (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 Padron mean?
A Spanish occupational surname referring to a person who collected taxes or managed a landlord's estate. 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 Padron (4.38 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 Padron?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.