2000
#1,305
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 24,713
First available Census row
Per 100,000 9.16
Uncommon Last name
Peralta
A Spanish surname likely derived from a place name meaning "high pass" or "crossing."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 44,055 Americans carry the last name Peralta. That puts it at #889 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 12.85 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 7,780 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Peralta 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 Peralta with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
44K
1 in 7,780
Census rank
#889
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
12.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
38K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 38,418 bearers of the surname Peralta in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 12.85 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 889th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Peralta, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 85.3%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (7.8%) and White (5.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Peralta
The surname Peralta is of Spanish origin, tracing its roots back to the medieval Iberian Peninsula. It is derived from the Basque words "pera" meaning "pear" and "alta" meaning "high" or "elevated," suggesting a connection to a place or region with pear orchards or groves situated at a higher elevation.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Peralta can be found in the 12th century, when it appeared in various documents and manuscripts from the Kingdom of Aragon and the Kingdom of Castile. This indicates that the name was already well-established during that time period.
In the 13th century, the town of Peralta de la Sal in the province of Huesca, Aragon, was mentioned in historical records. It is believed that the surname Peralta may have originated from this particular location or nearby areas.
The name Peralta gained prominence during the Reconquista, the centuries-long period of the Iberian Christian conquest of the Moorish territories. Pedro Martínez de Peralta (c. 1330-1391), a notable military leader and strategist, played a significant role in the battles against the Moors and was instrumental in the conquest of the Kingdom of Granada.
Another historical figure bearing the surname Peralta was Juan de Peralta (c. 1480-1557), a Spanish conquistador who accompanied Hernán Cortés in the conquest of Mexico. He was granted extensive lands and privileges for his contributions to the Spanish colonization efforts in the Americas.
In the 16th century, the Peralta family established themselves as a prominent noble house in Aragon and Navarre. Juan de Peralta y Bazán (1530-1594), a military commander and diplomat, served as the Viceroy of New Spain (modern-day Mexico) from 1567 to 1568.
During the 17th century, the name Peralta appeared in various historical records across Spain and its overseas territories. One notable figure from this period was Pedro de Peralta Barnuevo (1663-1743), a Spanish poet and dramatist who gained recognition for his literary works.
As the Spanish Empire expanded, the surname Peralta spread to various parts of the world, including Latin America, where it continues to be a prevalent name in countries like Mexico, Peru, and Argentina.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Peralta
Among Census respondents with the surname Peralta, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 85.3%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (7.8%) and White (5.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Peralta 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 Peralta surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino85.3% · 32,761
- Asian and Pacific Islander7.8% · 3,012
- White5.2% · 1,998
- Two or more races0.9% · 342
- Black or African American0.5% · 186
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 119
Timeline
Historical Census data for Peralta
Peralta 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
#949
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 36,585
+11,872 bearers (+48.0%)
Per 100,000 12.40
Rank movement Up 356 places
2020
#889
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 38,418
+1,833 bearers (+5.0%)
Per 100,000 12.85
Rank movement Up 60 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,305 | 24,713 | 9.16 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #949 | 36,585 | 12.40 | +11,872 bearers (+48.0%) | Up 356 places |
| 2020 | #889 | 38,418 | 12.85 | +1,833 bearers (+5.0%) | 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 Peralta 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 | #949 | #889 | 6.3% |
| Count | 36,585 | 38,418 | 5.0% |
| Per 100K | 12.40 | 12.85 | 3.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Peralta bearers went from 36,585 to 38,418 (+5.0% change). The surname moved up 60 positions in the national ranking, going from #949 to #889.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Peralta
FAQ
Peralta surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Peralta?
Name Census estimates that about 44,055 living Americans carry the surname Peralta. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 7,780 residents.
How common is Peralta?
Peralta ranks #889 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 12.85 per 100,000 residents, which is about 13 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 38,418 people with the surname Peralta. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (44,055), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 12.85 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 12.85 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 13 of them to have the surname Peralta.
Has Peralta become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Peralta went from 36,585 recorded bearers to 38,418. That is an increase of 1,833 (+5.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #949 to #889.
What does the Census say about the background of Peralta?
Among Census respondents with the surname Peralta, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 85.3%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (7.8%) and White (5.2%). 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 Peralta in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.3% (32,761 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Peralta appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (85.3%), Asian/Pacific Islander (7.8%), White (5.2%). 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 Peralta (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 Peralta mean?
A Spanish surname likely derived from a place name meaning "high pass" or "crossing." 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 Peralta (12.85 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 Peralta?
Find out how many Americans have the surname Peralta on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.