2000
#17,334
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,503
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.56
Rare Last name
Platero
A Spanish occupational surname referring to a silversmith or one who works with silver.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,479 Americans carry the last name Platero. That puts it at #13,463 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.72 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 138,263 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Platero 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
2.5K
1 in 138,263
Census rank
#13,463
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,162 bearers of the surname Platero in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.72 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13463rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Platero, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 55.8%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (38.0%) and White (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Platero
The surname Platero is of Spanish origin, and it is believed to have emerged in the 14th century. The name can be traced back to the Castilian region of Spain, particularly in the provinces of Toledo and Ciudad Real. It is derived from the Spanish word "platero," which means "silversmith" or "jeweler."
The name's roots can be linked to the flourishing of the silversmithing trade in medieval Spain, particularly during the Moorish influence and the subsequent Christian reconquest. The Platero surname may have been adopted by individuals or families involved in this craft, indicating their occupation or trade.
Historical records from the 15th century mention individuals with the Platero surname, suggesting its widespread use during that time period. One notable example is Juan Platero, a renowned silversmith from Toledo, who was active in the late 15th century and is credited with creating intricate works of art for religious institutions and nobility.
In the 16th century, the Platero surname appeared in various manuscripts and documents, including records of land ownership and legal transactions. During this period, the name was also found in areas such as Andalusia and Extremadura, indicating the spread of the Platero family across different regions of Spain.
One prominent figure bearing the Platero surname was Alonso Platero (c. 1530-1596), a Spanish explorer and navigator who accompanied the expeditions of Juan de la Cosa and Alonso de Ojeda to the coasts of South America and the Caribbean.
Another notable individual was María Platero (1575-1643), a Spanish nun and mystic who founded the Convent of the Immaculate Conception in Écija, Seville. She was renowned for her religious devotion and was beatified by the Catholic Church in 1852.
In the 18th century, the Platero surname gained further recognition with the birth of Juan Platero y Torres (1715-1788), a renowned Spanish architect and sculptor. He was responsible for designing and constructing several churches and buildings in Seville, including the iconic Palacio de las Dueñas.
The 19th century saw the rise of Gaspar Platero Gutiérrez (1822-1891), a Spanish politician and lawyer who served as a deputy in the Spanish parliament and played a significant role in the political landscape of the time.
Throughout its history, the Platero surname has been associated with various occupations and professions, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and accomplishments of those who bore this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Platero
Among Census respondents with the surname Platero, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 55.8%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (38.0%) and White (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Platero 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 Platero surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino55.8% · 1,207
- American Indian and Alaska Native38.0% · 822
- White3.4% · 74
- Two or more races1.7% · 37
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 20
- Black or African American0.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Platero
Platero 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
#14,814
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,002
+499 bearers (+33.2%)
Per 100,000 0.68
Rank movement Up 2,520 places
2020
#13,463
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,162
+160 bearers (+8.0%)
Per 100,000 0.72
Rank movement Up 1,351 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #17,334 | 1,503 | 0.56 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,814 | 2,002 | 0.68 | +499 bearers (+33.2%) | Up 2,520 places |
| 2020 | #13,463 | 2,162 | 0.72 | +160 bearers (+8.0%) | Up 1,351 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 Platero 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 | #14,814 | #13,463 | 9.1% |
| Count | 2,002 | 2,162 | 8.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.68 | 0.72 | 6.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Platero bearers went from 2,002 to 2,162 (+8.0% change). The surname moved up 1,351 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,814 to #13,463.
FAQ
Platero surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Platero?
Name Census estimates that about 2,479 living Americans carry the surname Platero. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 138,263 residents.
How common is Platero?
Platero ranks #13,463 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.72 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,162 people with the surname Platero. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,479), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.72 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.72 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Platero.
Has Platero become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Platero went from 2,002 recorded bearers to 2,162. That is an increase of 160 (+8.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #14,814 to #13,463.
What does the Census say about the background of Platero?
Among Census respondents with the surname Platero, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 55.8%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (38.0%) and White (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 Platero in the 2020 Census, accounting for 55.8% (1,207 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Platero appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (55.8%), American Indian/Alaska Native (38.0%), White (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 Platero (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 Platero mean?
A Spanish occupational surname referring to a silversmith or one who works with silver. 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 Platero (0.72 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 have the last name Platero?
Find out how many people have the last name Platero on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.