2000
#21,540
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,130
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.42
Rare Last name
Puerto
A place name surname referencing someone from the port or harbor region.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,084 Americans carry the last name Puerto. That puts it at #15,514 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.61 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 164,469 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Puerto 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
2.1K
1 in 164,469
Census rank
#15,514
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,817 bearers of the surname Puerto in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.61 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15514th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Puerto, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 87.0%. The next largest groups are White (6.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Puerto
The surname Puerto is of Spanish origin, derived from the word "puerto" meaning "port" or "harbor." This name likely originated in the coastal regions of Spain, where maritime activities and settlements near ports were common.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Puerto surname can be found in the Catalonian region of Spain during the 14th century. A document from 1325 mentions a certain "Pedro del Puerto," referring to an individual living near a port or harbor area.
In the 15th century, the Puerto surname began to appear in various Spanish records and manuscripts, particularly in coastal towns and cities such as Barcelona, Valencia, and Cadiz. This further reinforces the connection between the name and its maritime origins.
During the Age of Exploration, many Spanish explorers and sailors bearing the Puerto surname embarked on voyages across the Atlantic Ocean, contributing to the colonization of the Americas. One notable figure was Juan Puerto (1510-1579), a Spanish explorer who accompanied Hernando de Soto on his expedition to Florida and the southeastern United States.
Another prominent individual with the Puerto surname was Pedro Puerto (1545-1612), a Spanish theologian and scholar who authored several works on Catholic doctrine and philosophy during the Counter-Reformation era.
In the 18th century, the Puerto surname gained prominence in various parts of the Spanish Empire, including the Americas. José Puerto (1720-1788), a prominent silversmith from Mexico City, became renowned for his intricate and exquisite metalwork creations.
The 19th century saw the Puerto surname spread further across the Americas, as Spanish immigrants and their descendants settled in various regions. One notable figure was Mariano Puerto (1810-1875), a Chilean military officer and politician who played a significant role in the country's independence from Spain.
Throughout history, variations of the Puerto surname have also been recorded, such as Puertos, Puertolas, and Puertolas-Bendicho. These variations often reflect regional dialects or adaptations of the original name.
While the Puerto surname is most commonly associated with Spain and Spanish-speaking countries, it has also been adopted by individuals of various backgrounds and nationalities, reflecting the global impact of Spanish culture and language.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Puerto
Among Census respondents with the surname Puerto, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 87.0%. The next largest groups are White (6.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Puerto 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 Puerto surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino87.0% · 1,581
- White6.5% · 119
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.5% · 63
- Black or African American1.7% · 30
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 17
- Two or more races0.4% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Puerto
Puerto 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
#16,984
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,673
+543 bearers (+48.1%)
Per 100,000 0.57
Rank movement Up 4,556 places
2020
#15,514
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,817
+144 bearers (+8.6%)
Per 100,000 0.61
Rank movement Up 1,470 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #21,540 | 1,130 | 0.42 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #16,984 | 1,673 | 0.57 | +543 bearers (+48.1%) | Up 4,556 places |
| 2020 | #15,514 | 1,817 | 0.61 | +144 bearers (+8.6%) | Up 1,470 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 Puerto 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 | #16,984 | #15,514 | 8.7% |
| Count | 1,673 | 1,817 | 8.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.57 | 0.61 | 6.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Puerto bearers went from 1,673 to 1,817 (+8.6% change). The surname moved up 1,470 positions in the national ranking, going from #16,984 to #15,514.
FAQ
Puerto surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Puerto?
Name Census estimates that about 2,084 living Americans carry the surname Puerto. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 164,469 residents.
How common is Puerto?
Puerto ranks #15,514 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.61 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 1,817 people with the surname Puerto. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,084), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.61 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.61 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 Puerto.
Has Puerto become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Puerto went from 1,673 recorded bearers to 1,817. That is an increase of 144 (+8.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #16,984 to #15,514.
What does the Census say about the background of Puerto?
Among Census respondents with the surname Puerto, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 87.0%. The next largest groups are White (6.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.5%). 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 Puerto in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.0% (1,581 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Puerto appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (87.0%), White (6.5%), Asian/Pacific Islander (3.5%). 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 Puerto (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 Puerto mean?
A place name surname referencing someone from the port or harbor region. 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 Puerto (0.61 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 Puerto?
See how many Americans have the surname Puerto on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.