2000
#7,574
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,048
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.50
Rare Last name
Pelaez
A Spanish surname derived from the personal name Pelayo, likely meaning "wooded hill" or "fortress" in Latin.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,847 Americans carry the last name Pelaez. That puts it at #5,615 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.00 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 50,059 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pelaez 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
6.8K
1 in 50,059
Census rank
#5,615
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,971 bearers of the surname Pelaez in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.00 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5615th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pelaez, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 88.8%. The next largest groups are White (6.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pelaez
The surname Pelaez has its origins in Spain, originating during the medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Spanish word "pelaez," which refers to a person with light or blonde hair. This name is thought to have been initially used as a descriptive nickname for individuals with this physical characteristic before eventually being adopted as a hereditary surname.
The earliest known records of the Pelaez surname can be traced back to the 12th century in the northern regions of Spain, particularly in the areas of Asturias and Cantabria. During this time, the name appeared in various historical documents and records, including local parish registers and property deeds.
One notable historical reference to the Pelaez name can be found in the "Becerro de Behetrías," a 14th-century manuscript that documented the nobility and landowners in the regions of Castile and León. This document mentions several individuals bearing the Pelaez surname, suggesting their presence and influence in these areas.
In the 15th century, the Pelaez family established themselves as prominent landowners and noble figures in the region of Asturias. One notable member of this family was Rodrigo Pelaez de Villaviciosa (1430-1498), who served as a military commander and played a crucial role in the conquest of Granada, the last Moorish stronghold on the Iberian Peninsula.
Another distinguished individual with the Pelaez surname was Pedro Pelaez de Sotomayor (1490-1562), a Spanish conquistador and explorer who accompanied Hernán Cortés on his expedition to Mexico. He was instrumental in the conquest of the Aztec Empire and later served as a governor in various regions of New Spain (present-day Mexico).
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Pelaez surname spread throughout Spain and its colonies in the Americas. Notably, Juan Pelaez de Berrio (1550-1618) was a Spanish explorer and conquistador who established the settlement of Guayana (present-day Ciudad Guayana, Venezuela) and served as its first governor.
In more recent times, notable bearers of the Pelaez surname include Manuel Pelaez (1890-1953), a Mexican politician and writer who served as the governor of the state of Nuevo León, and Mariano Pelaez (1922-2009), a Cuban-American artist known for his abstract expressionist paintings.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pelaez
Among Census respondents with the surname Pelaez, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 88.8%. The next largest groups are White (6.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Pelaez 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 Pelaez surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino88.8% · 5,305
- White6.7% · 400
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.4% · 205
- Two or more races0.6% · 38
- Black or African American0.3% · 18
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pelaez
Pelaez 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
#5,929
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,810
+1,762 bearers (+43.5%)
Per 100,000 1.97
Rank movement Up 1,645 places
2020
#5,615
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,971
+161 bearers (+2.8%)
Per 100,000 2.00
Rank movement Up 314 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,574 | 4,048 | 1.50 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,929 | 5,810 | 1.97 | +1,762 bearers (+43.5%) | Up 1,645 places |
| 2020 | #5,615 | 5,971 | 2.00 | +161 bearers (+2.8%) | Up 314 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 Pelaez 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 | #5,929 | #5,615 | 5.3% |
| Count | 5,810 | 5,971 | 2.8% |
| Per 100K | 1.97 | 2.00 | 1.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pelaez bearers went from 5,810 to 5,971 (+2.8% change). The surname moved up 314 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,929 to #5,615.
FAQ
Pelaez surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pelaez?
Name Census estimates that about 6,847 living Americans carry the surname Pelaez. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 50,059 residents.
How common is Pelaez?
Pelaez ranks #5,615 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.00 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 5,971 people with the surname Pelaez. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,847), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.00 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 Pelaez.
Has Pelaez become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pelaez went from 5,810 recorded bearers to 5,971. That is an increase of 161 (+2.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #5,929 to #5,615.
What does the Census say about the background of Pelaez?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pelaez, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 88.8%. The next largest groups are White (6.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.4%). 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 Pelaez in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.8% (5,305 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pelaez appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (88.8%), White (6.7%), Asian/Pacific Islander (3.4%). 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 Pelaez (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 Pelaez mean?
A Spanish surname derived from the personal name Pelayo, likely meaning "wooded hill" or "fortress" in Latin. 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 Pelaez (2.00 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 Pelaez?
For a quick modern take, check how many people are called Pelaez on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.