2000
#7,883
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,896
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.44
Rare Last name
Plata
A Spanish surname derived from the word "plata," meaning "silver," likely referring to a silversmith or silver merchant.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,552 Americans carry the last name Plata. That puts it at #6,701 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.62 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 61,735 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Plata 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
5.6K
1 in 61,735
Census rank
#6,701
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,842 bearers of the surname Plata in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.62 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6701st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Plata, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 84.7%. The next largest groups are White (9.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Plata
The surname Plata originates from Spain and has its roots in the Latin word "plata", meaning silver. This connection to the precious metal suggests that the name may have been associated with those involved in the mining, trading, or working of silver in some capacity during medieval times.
The earliest known records of the Plata surname can be traced back to the region of Andalusia in southern Spain, particularly in the city of Seville, which was an important center for trade and commerce during the height of the Spanish Empire. The name is believed to have first appeared in written records in the late 13th century.
One of the earliest documented examples of the Plata name can be found in the "Libro de Repartimiento de Sevilla", a historical document that recorded the distribution of lands and properties in Seville after its reconquest by the Christian forces in 1248. The name Pedro de Plata is listed among the recipients of land grants in this document.
In the 15th century, a notable figure bearing the Plata surname was Juan de Plata, a Spanish navigator and explorer who accompanied Christopher Columbus on his second voyage to the Americas in 1493. Juan de Plata is credited with being one of the first Europeans to set foot on the island of Puerto Rico.
Another prominent individual with the Plata surname was Gaspar de Plata y Castilleja (1525-1592), a Spanish nobleman and military commander who served under King Philip II of Spain. He played a crucial role in the Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire in Peru and was appointed as the first Governor of Charcas, a region that now forms part of modern-day Bolivia.
In the realm of literature, one cannot overlook the contribution of Juan de Plata Maldonado (1570-1630), a Spanish poet and dramatist who was celebrated for his works in the Golden Age of Spanish literature. His poetry collection, "Poesías varias", published in 1624, received widespread acclaim.
The Plata surname has also been associated with several notable figures in the arts and sciences. One example is Joaquín Plata y Velasco (1788-1858), a Spanish painter and engraver who gained recognition for his religious paintings and portraits commissioned by the Spanish nobility.
While the surname Plata has its origins in Spain, it has since spread to various parts of the world, particularly to Latin American countries with strong Spanish colonial influences, such as Mexico, Argentina, and Peru. However, the historical records and notable figures mentioned above provide insights into the rich heritage and significance of this surname within the Spanish cultural and historical context.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Plata
Among Census respondents with the surname Plata, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 84.7%. The next largest groups are White (9.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Plata 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 Plata surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino84.7% · 4,100
- White9.9% · 480
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.6% · 175
- Black or African American0.8% · 39
- Two or more races0.6% · 30
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 18
Timeline
Historical Census data for Plata
Plata 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
#6,290
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,432
+1,536 bearers (+39.4%)
Per 100,000 1.84
Rank movement Up 1,593 places
2020
#6,701
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,842
-590 bearers (-10.9%)
Per 100,000 1.62
Rank movement Down 411 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,883 | 3,896 | 1.44 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,290 | 5,432 | 1.84 | +1,536 bearers (+39.4%) | Up 1,593 places |
| 2020 | #6,701 | 4,842 | 1.62 | -590 bearers (-10.9%) | Down 411 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 Plata 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 | #6,290 | #6,701 | -6.5% |
| Count | 5,432 | 4,842 | -10.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.84 | 1.62 | -12.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Plata bearers went from 5,432 to 4,842 (-10.9% change). The surname moved down 411 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,290 to #6,701.
FAQ
Plata surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Plata?
Name Census estimates that about 5,552 living Americans carry the surname Plata. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 61,735 residents.
How common is Plata?
Plata ranks #6,701 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.62 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 4,842 people with the surname Plata. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,552), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.62 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.62 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 Plata.
Has Plata become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Plata went from 5,432 recorded bearers to 4,842. That is a decrease of 590 (-10.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,290 to #6,701.
What does the Census say about the background of Plata?
Among Census respondents with the surname Plata, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 84.7%. The next largest groups are White (9.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.6%). 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 Plata in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.7% (4,100 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Plata appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (84.7%), White (9.9%), Asian/Pacific Islander (3.6%). 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 Plata (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 Plata mean?
A Spanish surname derived from the word "plata," meaning "silver," likely referring to a silversmith or silver merchant. 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 Plata (1.62 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 Americans have the surname Plata?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.