2000
#3,148
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,507
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.89
Uncommon Last name
Pantoja
A Spanish habitational surname referring to someone from any of the various places named Pantoja.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 16,498 Americans carry the last name Pantoja. That puts it at #2,450 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 4.81 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 20,776 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pantoja 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
16K
1 in 20,776
Census rank
#2,450
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
4.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
14K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 14,387 bearers of the surname Pantoja in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 4.81 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2450th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pantoja, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 94.3%. The next largest groups are White (4.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pantoja
The surname Pantoja originated in Spain during the Middle Ages. It is believed to have derived from the Spanish word "panta," which means "marsh" or "swamp," suggesting that the name's bearers may have lived near or worked in marshy areas. Additionally, the suffix "-oja" is a common Spanish diminutive, indicating a small or diminutive form.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the Pantoja surname can be found in the Becerro de las Behetrías, a 14th-century census document from the reign of King Pedro I of Castile. This document lists several individuals with the Pantoja surname, indicating the name's presence in various regions of Spain during that period.
In the 16th century, the Pantoja family played a notable role in the Spanish colonization of the Americas. Juan Pantoja de la Cruz, born around 1553 in Valladolid, Spain, was a renowned painter who served as the court painter for King Philip III of Spain. His works, including portraits of the royal family, are considered important examples of Spanish Renaissance art.
Another notable figure from this time period was Francisco Pantoja, a Spanish conquistador who accompanied Hernán Cortés during the conquest of Mexico in the early 16th century. Pantoja participated in various battles and expeditions, helping to establish Spanish control over the region.
In the 17th century, the Pantoja surname gained prominence in the literary world. Antonio Pantoja y Guzmán, born in Seville in 1610, was a Spanish poet and dramatist known for his works in the baroque style. His plays and poems were widely acclaimed during his lifetime.
Moving to the 18th century, Manuel Pantoja y Llanos, born in Seville in 1742, was a renowned Spanish architect. He designed several notable buildings, including the Palacio de las Dueñas in Seville, which is now considered a masterpiece of Spanish Baroque architecture.
Throughout its history, the Pantoja surname has been associated with various professions, from artists and writers to military figures and architects. While its origins can be traced back to medieval Spain, the name has since spread to various parts of the world, particularly through Spanish colonization and migration.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pantoja
Among Census respondents with the surname Pantoja, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 94.3%. The next largest groups are White (4.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Pantoja 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 Pantoja surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino94.3% · 13,573
- White4.0% · 571
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 119
- Black or African American0.4% · 59
- Two or more races0.3% · 47
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 18
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pantoja
Pantoja 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
#2,383
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 15,249
+4,742 bearers (+45.1%)
Per 100,000 5.17
Rank movement Up 765 places
2020
#2,450
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 14,387
-862 bearers (-5.7%)
Per 100,000 4.81
Rank movement Down 67 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,148 | 10,507 | 3.89 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,383 | 15,249 | 5.17 | +4,742 bearers (+45.1%) | Up 765 places |
| 2020 | #2,450 | 14,387 | 4.81 | -862 bearers (-5.7%) | Down 67 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 Pantoja 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 | #2,383 | #2,450 | -2.8% |
| Count | 15,249 | 14,387 | -5.7% |
| Per 100K | 5.17 | 4.81 | -6.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pantoja bearers went from 15,249 to 14,387 (-5.7% change). The surname moved down 67 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,383 to #2,450.
FAQ
Pantoja surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pantoja?
Name Census estimates that about 16,498 living Americans carry the surname Pantoja. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 20,776 residents.
How common is Pantoja?
Pantoja ranks #2,450 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 4.81 per 100,000 residents, which is about 5 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 14,387 people with the surname Pantoja. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (16,498), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 4.81 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 4.81 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 5 of them to have the surname Pantoja.
Has Pantoja become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pantoja went from 15,249 recorded bearers to 14,387. That is a decrease of 862 (-5.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,383 to #2,450.
What does the Census say about the background of Pantoja?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pantoja, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 94.3%. The next largest groups are White (4.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%). 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 Pantoja in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.3% (13,573 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pantoja appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (94.3%), White (4.0%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%). 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 Pantoja (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 Pantoja mean?
A Spanish habitational surname referring to someone from any of the various places named Pantoja. 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 Pantoja (4.81 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 are called Pantoja?
Find out how many people are called Pantoja on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.