2000
#1,758
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 18,689
First available Census row
Per 100,000 6.93
Uncommon Last name
Paredes
A Spanish toponymic surname indicating a person who lived near walls, fences, or boundaries.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 31,363 Americans carry the last name Paredes. That puts it at #1,260 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 9.15 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 10,929 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Paredes 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 Paredes with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
31K
1 in 10,929
Census rank
#1,260
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
9.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
27K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 27,350 bearers of the surname Paredes in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 9.15 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1260th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Paredes, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 90.5%. The next largest groups are White (4.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Paredes
The surname Paredes originated in Spain during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Spanish word "pared," which means "wall" or "partition." The name likely referred to someone who lived near a wall or fortification, or perhaps worked as a builder or mason.
The earliest recorded instances of the Paredes surname can be traced back to the 13th century in various regions of Spain, including Andalusia, Castile, and Aragon. In some cases, the name may have been associated with specific place names, such as the town of Paredes de Nava in the province of Palencia.
One of the earliest known bearers of the Paredes surname was Diego de Paredes, a Spanish nobleman and military commander who fought against the Moors during the Reconquista in the late 13th century. Another notable figure was Alonso de Paredes, a Spanish explorer and conquistador who accompanied Hernán Cortés on his expedition to Mexico in the 16th century.
In the 17th century, the Paredes family gained prominence in Spain, with several members holding influential positions in the government and military. Rodrigo de Paredes y Guzmán, born in 1612, was a Spanish nobleman and military officer who served as Governor of the Philippines from 1668 to 1669.
The Paredes surname also found its way to the Americas during the Spanish colonization. One of the earliest recorded instances was Juan de Paredes, a Spanish conquistador who participated in the conquest of Peru under Francisco Pizarro in the 16th century.
Another notable figure with the Paredes surname was Mariano Paredes y Arrillaga, a Mexican military officer and politician who served as President of Mexico from 1846 to 1847 during the Mexican-American War. He was born in 1797 and played a significant role in the defense of Mexico City against the invading American forces.
Over time, the Paredes surname has spread to various parts of the world, particularly in countries with significant Spanish influence or migration. While its origins can be traced back to medieval Spain, the name has become a part of the cultural fabric of many nations, reflecting the diverse and rich history of the Spanish language and heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Paredes
Among Census respondents with the surname Paredes, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 90.5%. The next largest groups are White (4.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Paredes 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 Paredes surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino90.5% · 24,753
- White4.9% · 1,334
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.3% · 905
- Two or more races0.7% · 184
- Black or African American0.5% · 135
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 39
Timeline
Historical Census data for Paredes
Paredes 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
#1,287
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 27,274
+8,585 bearers (+45.9%)
Per 100,000 9.25
Rank movement Up 471 places
2020
#1,260
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 27,350
+76 bearers (+0.3%)
Per 100,000 9.15
Rank movement Up 27 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,758 | 18,689 | 6.93 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,287 | 27,274 | 9.25 | +8,585 bearers (+45.9%) | Up 471 places |
| 2020 | #1,260 | 27,350 | 9.15 | +76 bearers (+0.3%) | Up 27 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 Paredes 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 | #1,287 | #1,260 | 2.1% |
| Count | 27,274 | 27,350 | 0.3% |
| Per 100K | 9.25 | 9.15 | -1.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Paredes bearers went from 27,274 to 27,350 (+0.3% change). The surname moved up 27 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,287 to #1,260.
FAQ
Paredes surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Paredes?
Name Census estimates that about 31,363 living Americans carry the surname Paredes. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 10,929 residents.
How common is Paredes?
Paredes ranks #1,260 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 9.15 per 100,000 residents, which is about 9 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 27,350 people with the surname Paredes. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (31,363), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 9.15 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 9.15 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 9 of them to have the surname Paredes.
Has Paredes become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Paredes went from 27,274 recorded bearers to 27,350. That is an increase of 76 (+0.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #1,287 to #1,260.
What does the Census say about the background of Paredes?
Among Census respondents with the surname Paredes, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 90.5%. The next largest groups are White (4.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.3%). 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 Paredes in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.5% (24,753 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Paredes appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (90.5%), White (4.9%), Asian/Pacific Islander (3.3%). 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 Paredes (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 Paredes mean?
A Spanish toponymic surname indicating a person who lived near walls, fences, or boundaries. 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 Paredes (9.15 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 Paredes?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.