2010
#147,253
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Queiros
An occupational surname derived from Portuguese for a maker or seller of cheese.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 123 Americans carry the last name Queiros. That puts it at #151,639 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,786,621 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Queiros 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
123
1 in 2,786,621
Census rank
#151,639
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
107
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 107 bearers of the surname Queiros in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 151639th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Queiros, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.6%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Queiros
The surname Queiros has its origins in Portugal, emerging in the medieval period. It is derived from the Portuguese topographic name "Queirós," which refers to a place name found in various regions of northern Portugal. This place name is thought to stem from the Latin word "caria," meaning "rocky place" or "stony area."
The earliest recorded instances of the surname Queiros can be traced back to the 13th century, with references found in Portuguese historical records and documents. One notable example is João Rodrigues Queiros, a Portuguese nobleman and landowner who lived in the late 13th century.
In the 15th century, the surname gained prominence with the explorer Pedro Fernandes de Queiros, who was born in Évora, Portugal, around 1470. He is renowned for his voyages to the Pacific Ocean and his search for the legendary "Terra Australis Incognita," or the unknown southern land.
Another significant figure bearing the Queiros surname was Manuel Queiros, a 16th-century Portuguese poet and writer known for his works on religion and philosophy. He was born in Lisbon in 1532 and passed away in 1599.
Moving into the 17th century, the name appears in the historical records of the Iberian Union, which united the crowns of Spain and Portugal from 1580 to 1640. One notable individual from this period was Tomás de Queiros, a Spanish military commander who served during the Eighty Years' War against the Dutch Republic.
In the 18th century, the surname Queiros is associated with António José de Queiros, a Portuguese architect and military engineer who worked on several notable projects, including the construction of fortifications in Brazil and Macau.
As the surname spread beyond Portugal, it also took on various spelling variations, such as Queyros, Queiroz, and Queirós, reflecting regional linguistic differences and adaptations.
It is important to note that while the surname Queiros has a rich historical background, the information provided in this report is based on available records and may not be exhaustive, as some details may have been lost or obscured over time.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Queiros
Among Census respondents with the surname Queiros, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.6%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Queiros 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 Queiros surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.6% · 98
- Hispanic or Latino5.6% · 6
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.9% · 2
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Queiros
Queiros appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#151,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
-5 bearers (-4.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 4,386 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #147,253 | 112 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #151,639 | 107 | 0.04 | -5 bearers (-4.5%) | Down 4,386 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 Queiros 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 | #147,253 | #151,639 | -3.0% |
| Count | 112 | 107 | -4.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -10.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Queiros bearers went from 112 to 107 (-4.5% change). The surname moved down 4,386 positions in the national ranking, going from #147,253 to #151,639.
FAQ
Queiros surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Queiros?
Name Census estimates that about 123 living Americans carry the surname Queiros. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,786,621 residents.
How common is Queiros?
Queiros ranks #151,639 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 107 people with the surname Queiros. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (123), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Queiros.
Has Queiros become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Queiros went from 112 recorded bearers to 107. That is a decrease of 5 (-4.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #147,253 to #151,639.
What does the Census say about the background of Queiros?
Among Census respondents with the surname Queiros, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.6%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.9%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Queiros in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.6% (98 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Queiros appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.6%), Hispanic (5.6%), American Indian/Alaska Native (1.9%). 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 Queiros (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 Queiros mean?
An occupational surname derived from Portuguese for a maker or seller of cheese. 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 Queiros (0.04 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 surname Queiros?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.