2000
#1,073
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 29,755
First available Census row
Per 100,000 11.03
Uncommon Last name
Quintana
A Spanish habitational surname referring to someone from any of various places named Quintana, meaning "fifth milestone."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 41,788 Americans carry the last name Quintana. That puts it at #939 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 12.19 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 8,202 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Quintana 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Quintana with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
42K
1 in 8,202
Census rank
#939
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
12.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
36K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 36,441 bearers of the surname Quintana in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 12.19 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 939th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Quintana, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 88.3%. The next largest groups are White (8.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Quintana
The surname Quintana has its origins in Spain, with roots dating back to the Middle Ages. Derived from the Latin word "quintana," which referred to a small farmstead or country estate, the name likely originated as a descriptive term for someone who lived on or near such a property.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Quintana can be found in the Navarre Monastery's cartulary from the 11th century, where a certain Sancho Quintana is mentioned. This suggests that the name was already in use by that time in the northern regions of Spain.
During the Reconquista period, when Christian kingdoms were gradually reclaiming territory from the Moors, the Quintana name appears to have spread across various parts of the Iberian Peninsula. In the 13th century, records from the Kingdom of Aragon mention individuals with the surname Quintana holding positions of importance.
The Quintana name also has ties to several place names in Spain, such as Quintana del Puente and Quintana de la Serena, which may have influenced the surname's evolution and distribution. Additionally, variations in spelling, such as Quintanna and Quintano, were not uncommon in historical documents.
Notable individuals bearing the Quintana surname include Juan Quintana (1495-1557), a Spanish jurist and author who served as a judge in the Royal Chancery of Valladolid. Another prominent figure was Antonio de Quintana (1660-1733), a Spanish naval officer and cartographer who played a crucial role in the mapping of the Pacific Ocean.
In the literary realm, Manuel José Quintana (1772-1857) was a celebrated Spanish poet, dramatist, and statesman who is regarded as one of the most influential figures of the Spanish Neoclassical movement. His works, such as "Vidas de españoles célebres" (Lives of Celebrated Spaniards), have left a lasting impact on Spanish literature.
Moving into the 20th century, Enrique Quintana (1893-1936) was a renowned Mexican architect known for his contributions to the Neocolonial and Art Deco styles. His most famous works include the Monumental Axis in Mexico City and the Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education.
Lastly, Julio Quintana (1905-1989) was a prominent Venezuelan political figure who served as the President of Venezuela from 1948 to 1950. His administration was marked by efforts to modernize the country's infrastructure and promote economic development.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Quintana
Among Census respondents with the surname Quintana, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 88.3%. The next largest groups are White (8.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Quintana 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 Quintana surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino88.3% · 32,162
- White8.4% · 3,061
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.2% · 427
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.2% · 423
- Two or more races0.6% · 221
- Black or African American0.4% · 147
Timeline
Historical Census data for Quintana
Quintana 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
#923
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 37,657
+7,902 bearers (+26.6%)
Per 100,000 12.77
Rank movement Up 150 places
2020
#939
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 36,441
-1,216 bearers (-3.2%)
Per 100,000 12.19
Rank movement Down 16 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,073 | 29,755 | 11.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #923 | 37,657 | 12.77 | +7,902 bearers (+26.6%) | Up 150 places |
| 2020 | #939 | 36,441 | 12.19 | -1,216 bearers (-3.2%) | Down 16 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 Quintana 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 | #923 | #939 | -1.7% |
| Count | 37,657 | 36,441 | -3.2% |
| Per 100K | 12.77 | 12.19 | -4.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Quintana bearers went from 37,657 to 36,441 (-3.2% change). The surname moved down 16 positions in the national ranking, going from #923 to #939.
FAQ
Quintana surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Quintana?
Name Census estimates that about 41,788 living Americans carry the surname Quintana. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 8,202 residents.
How common is Quintana?
Quintana ranks #939 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 12.19 per 100,000 residents, which is about 12 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 36,441 people with the surname Quintana. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (41,788), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 12.19 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 12.19 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 12 of them to have the surname Quintana.
Has Quintana become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Quintana went from 37,657 recorded bearers to 36,441. That is a decrease of 1,216 (-3.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #923 to #939.
What does the Census say about the background of Quintana?
Among Census respondents with the surname Quintana, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 88.3%. The next largest groups are White (8.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.2%). 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 Quintana in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.3% (32,162 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Quintana appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (88.3%), White (8.4%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.2%). 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 Quintana (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 Quintana mean?
A Spanish habitational surname referring to someone from any of various places named Quintana, meaning "fifth milestone." 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 Quintana (12.19 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 are called Quintana?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the last name Quintana at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.