2000
#8,934
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,365
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.25
Rare Last name
Quijada
A Spanish habitational surname referring to someone from any of several places named Quijada, meaning "jaw" or "jawbone."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,770 Americans carry the last name Quijada. That puts it at #6,483 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.68 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 59,403 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Quijada 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
5.8K
1 in 59,403
Census rank
#6,483
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,032 bearers of the surname Quijada in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.68 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6483rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Quijada, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 93.2%. The next largest groups are White (5.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Quijada
The surname Quijada originated from Spain during the medieval era. It is derived from the Spanish word "quijada" which translates to "jawbone" in English. The name likely emerged as a descriptive nickname for someone with a prominent or distinctive jawline.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Quijada name can be found in the Libro de la Montería, a 14th-century manuscript detailing hunting practices during the reign of King Alfonso XI of Castile. This text mentions a nobleman named Rodrigo Quijada, who served as a royal huntsman.
In the 16th century, the Quijada family gained prominence through their association with the Spanish monarchy. Luis Quijada y Villegas (1518-1570) was a courtier and close confidant of King Philip II of Spain. He served as the tutor and later the majordomo (head of household) to the future King Philip III.
Another notable figure with the Quijada surname was Diego de Quijada y Riquelme (1562-1633), a Spanish conquistador who participated in the conquest of Chile. He played a crucial role in the early colonization efforts and founded the city of Villarrica in 1552.
In the realm of literature, the surname Quijada is eternally linked to the iconic novel "Don Quixote" by Miguel de Cervantes. The protagonist, Alonso Quijano, adopts the name "Don Quixote de la Mancha" after losing his sanity and embarking on his imaginative adventures. The name "Quijada" is believed to have influenced Cervantes' choice of the protagonist's original surname, "Quijano."
Moving forward in history, Francisco Quijada y Cañizares (1788-1856) was a Spanish military officer who fought against the French during the Peninsular War. He rose to the rank of Lieutenant General and was awarded the prestigious Order of Saint Ferdinand for his bravery and leadership.
Throughout its history, the Quijada surname has maintained its Spanish roots and has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including nobility, military leaders, and literary figures. While its exact origins may be lost to time, the name continues to evoke a sense of heritage and connection to the rich cultural tapestry of Spain.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Quijada
Among Census respondents with the surname Quijada, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 93.2%. The next largest groups are White (5.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Quijada 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 Quijada surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino93.2% · 4,688
- White5.0% · 252
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 40
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 22
- Two or more races0.4% · 22
- Black or African American0.2% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Quijada
Quijada 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
#6,856
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,908
+1,543 bearers (+45.9%)
Per 100,000 1.66
Rank movement Up 2,078 places
2020
#6,483
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,032
+124 bearers (+2.5%)
Per 100,000 1.68
Rank movement Up 373 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,934 | 3,365 | 1.25 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,856 | 4,908 | 1.66 | +1,543 bearers (+45.9%) | Up 2,078 places |
| 2020 | #6,483 | 5,032 | 1.68 | +124 bearers (+2.5%) | Up 373 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 Quijada 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 | #6,856 | #6,483 | 5.4% |
| Count | 4,908 | 5,032 | 2.5% |
| Per 100K | 1.66 | 1.68 | 1.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Quijada bearers went from 4,908 to 5,032 (+2.5% change). The surname moved up 373 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,856 to #6,483.
FAQ
Quijada surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Quijada?
Name Census estimates that about 5,770 living Americans carry the surname Quijada. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 59,403 residents.
How common is Quijada?
Quijada ranks #6,483 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.68 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 5,032 people with the surname Quijada. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,770), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.68 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.68 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 Quijada.
Has Quijada become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Quijada went from 4,908 recorded bearers to 5,032. That is an increase of 124 (+2.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #6,856 to #6,483.
What does the Census say about the background of Quijada?
Among Census respondents with the surname Quijada, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 93.2%. The next largest groups are White (5.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%). 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 Quijada in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.2% (4,688 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Quijada appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (93.2%), White (5.0%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%). 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 Quijada (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 Quijada mean?
A Spanish habitational surname referring to someone from any of several places named Quijada, meaning "jaw" or "jawbone." 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 Quijada (1.68 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 common is the surname Quijada?
See how common the surname Quijada is on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.