2000
#6,143
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,134
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.90
Rare Last name
Pedro
A Spanish patronymic surname derived from the given name Pedro, the Spanish form of the name Peter.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 8,004 Americans carry the last name Pedro. That puts it at #4,899 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.34 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 42,823 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pedro 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 Pedro with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
8.0K
1 in 42,823
Census rank
#4,899
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
7.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,980 bearers of the surname Pedro in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.34 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4899th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pedro, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 45.2%. The next largest groups are White (31.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (9.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pedro
The surname Pedro has its origins in Portugal, where it first emerged in the Middle Ages as a patronymic name derived from the given name Pedro, the Portuguese form of Peter. This name ultimately stems from the ancient Greek name Petros, meaning "rock" or "stone."
Pedro was a relatively common surname in medieval Portugal, particularly in the northern regions. It can be traced back to the 12th century, with early recorded instances appearing in various municipal and ecclesiastical records from that era. One notable example is a certain João Pedro, a nobleman mentioned in a charter from the city of Coimbra dated 1187.
Throughout the centuries, the Pedro surname spread across the Portuguese territories and colonies, carried by settlers, explorers, and immigrants. It became particularly prevalent in Brazil, which was colonized by Portugal and received a significant influx of Portuguese settlers from the 16th century onwards.
While the name Pedro itself has biblical origins, referring to the apostle Peter, there are no known direct historical references to this particular surname in major medieval manuscripts or chronicles. However, it is likely that individuals bearing this surname were involved in various historical events and contexts, given its long-standing presence in Portugal and its associated territories.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Pedro was Álvaro Pedro, a 14th-century Portuguese nobleman and military leader who participated in the Reconquista, the Christian campaign to reclaim the Iberian Peninsula from Moorish rule. He was born around 1320 and played a prominent role in several battles against the Moors.
Another notable figure was João Pedro, a 16th-century Portuguese explorer and navigator who accompanied Ferdinand Magellan on his famous circumnavigation voyage from 1519 to 1522. Though Pedro did not complete the entire journey, he was part of the expedition's crew during its initial stages.
In the 17th century, António Pedro was a respected Portuguese architect and master builder who designed and constructed several churches and other significant buildings in Lisbon and other parts of Portugal. His work left a lasting impact on the architectural landscape of the country.
Moving to the 19th century, José Pedro was a renowned Brazilian poet and journalist who played a pivotal role in the Romantic literary movement in Brazil. Born in 1820, he published several acclaimed works and was actively involved in the country's cultural and intellectual circles.
More recently, in the 20th century, Pedro Almodóvar, the celebrated Spanish filmmaker, has brought international recognition to the surname Pedro. Born in 1949, he is known for his distinctive and provocative cinematic style, and has received numerous accolades, including Academy Awards, for his critically acclaimed films.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pedro
Among Census respondents with the surname Pedro, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 45.2%. The next largest groups are White (31.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (9.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Pedro 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 Pedro surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino45.2% · 3,155
- White31.7% · 2,215
- Asian and Pacific Islander9.4% · 659
- Black or African American6.3% · 438
- American Indian and Alaska Native4.0% · 280
- Two or more races3.3% · 233
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pedro
Pedro 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
#5,246
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,649
+1,515 bearers (+29.5%)
Per 100,000 2.25
Rank movement Up 897 places
2020
#4,899
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,980
+331 bearers (+5.0%)
Per 100,000 2.34
Rank movement Up 347 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,143 | 5,134 | 1.90 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,246 | 6,649 | 2.25 | +1,515 bearers (+29.5%) | Up 897 places |
| 2020 | #4,899 | 6,980 | 2.34 | +331 bearers (+5.0%) | Up 347 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 Pedro 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 | #5,246 | #4,899 | 6.6% |
| Count | 6,649 | 6,980 | 5.0% |
| Per 100K | 2.25 | 2.34 | 3.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pedro bearers went from 6,649 to 6,980 (+5.0% change). The surname moved up 347 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,246 to #4,899.
FAQ
Pedro surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pedro?
Name Census estimates that about 8,004 living Americans carry the surname Pedro. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 42,823 residents.
How common is Pedro?
Pedro ranks #4,899 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.34 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 6,980 people with the surname Pedro. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (8,004), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.34 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.34 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 Pedro.
Has Pedro become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pedro went from 6,649 recorded bearers to 6,980. That is an increase of 331 (+5.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #5,246 to #4,899.
What does the Census say about the background of Pedro?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pedro, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 45.2%. The next largest groups are White (31.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (9.4%). 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 Pedro in the 2020 Census, accounting for 45.2% (3,155 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pedro appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (45.2%), White (31.7%), Asian/Pacific Islander (9.4%). 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 Pedro (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 Pedro mean?
A Spanish patronymic surname derived from the given name Pedro, the Spanish form of the name Peter. 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 Pedro (2.34 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 Pedro?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.