2000
#40,622
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 507
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.19
Very Rare Last name
Quero
A Galician or Portuguese surname derived from the verb "querer" meaning "to want" or "to desire".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 985 Americans carry the last name Quero. That puts it at #29,333 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.29 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 347,974 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Quero 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
985
1 in 347,974
Census rank
#29,333
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
859
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 859 bearers of the surname Quero in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.29 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 29333rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Quero, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 77.5%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (14.7%) and White (5.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Quero
The surname "QUERO" is of Spanish origin, tracing its roots back to the medieval era in the Iberian Peninsula. One of the earliest recorded instances of this name can be found in historical documents from the 13th century in the region of Castile, Spain.
It is believed that the name "QUERO" is derived from the Spanish word "quero," which means "I want" or "I desire." This suggests that the name may have originally been used as a nickname or a descriptive surname, perhaps referring to a person with a strong sense of determination or ambition.
During the 15th century, the name appeared in several municipal records and census documents from various towns and villages across Castile and Aragon. One notable example is the mention of a certain Juan Quero in a taxation register from the city of Valladolid, dated 1476.
As the Spanish Empire expanded its influence across the globe, the surname "QUERO" also spread to other parts of the world, particularly to the Americas. In the 16th century, there are records of individuals bearing this surname in colonial settlements in present-day Mexico and Peru.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the surname "QUERO." One of the earliest was Pedro Quero (c. 1420-1495), a Spanish clergyman and scholar who served as a chaplain to King Juan II of Aragon. Another prominent individual was Juana Quero (1545-1611), a Spanish noblewoman and landowner who played a significant role in the colonization of the Río de la Plata region in present-day Argentina.
In the 18th century, Manuel Quero (1728-1804) was a renowned Spanish architect who designed several notable buildings, including the Royal Palace of Aranjuez. During the same period, Francisco Quero (1760-1836) was a prominent military officer who served in the Spanish Army and participated in various campaigns against Napoleon's forces.
More recently, in the 20th century, Jorge Quero (1920-1998) was a celebrated Peruvian painter and muralist known for his vibrant depictions of indigenous Andean culture and landscapes.
While many variations and similar spellings of the surname "QUERO" have emerged over time, such as "Queiros" and "Quero y Castro," the core meaning and origins of this name can be traced back to its Spanish roots and the rich cultural heritage of the Iberian Peninsula.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Quero
Among Census respondents with the surname Quero, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 77.5%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (14.7%) and White (5.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Quero 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 Quero surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino77.5% · 666
- Asian and Pacific Islander14.7% · 126
- White5.9% · 51
- Two or more races1.7% · 15
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Quero
Quero 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
#29,279
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 808
+301 bearers (+59.4%)
Per 100,000 0.27
Rank movement Up 11,343 places
2020
#29,333
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 859
+51 bearers (+6.3%)
Per 100,000 0.29
Rank movement Down 54 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #40,622 | 507 | 0.19 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #29,279 | 808 | 0.27 | +301 bearers (+59.4%) | Up 11,343 places |
| 2020 | #29,333 | 859 | 0.29 | +51 bearers (+6.3%) | Down 54 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 Quero 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 | #29,279 | #29,333 | -0.2% |
| Count | 808 | 859 | 6.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.27 | 0.29 | 6.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Quero bearers went from 808 to 859 (+6.3% change). The surname moved down 54 positions in the national ranking, going from #29,279 to #29,333.
FAQ
Quero surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Quero?
Name Census estimates that about 985 living Americans carry the surname Quero. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 347,974 residents.
How common is Quero?
Quero ranks #29,333 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.29 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 859 people with the surname Quero. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (985), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.29 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.29 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 Quero.
Has Quero become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Quero went from 808 recorded bearers to 859. That is an increase of 51 (+6.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #29,279 to #29,333.
What does the Census say about the background of Quero?
Among Census respondents with the surname Quero, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 77.5%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (14.7%) and White (5.9%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Quero in the 2020 Census, accounting for 77.5% (666 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Quero appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (77.5%), Asian/Pacific Islander (14.7%), White (5.9%). 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 Quero (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 Quero mean?
A Galician or Portuguese surname derived from the verb "querer" meaning "to want" or "to desire". 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 Quero (0.29 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 share the surname Quero?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.