2000
#11,729
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,448
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.91
Rare Last name
Raposo
A Portuguese and Galician surname meaning "fox," likely referring to someone cunning or with red hair.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,124 Americans carry the last name Raposo. That puts it at #11,116 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.91 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 109,716 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Raposo 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 Raposo with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.1K
1 in 109,716
Census rank
#11,116
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,724 bearers of the surname Raposo in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.91 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11116th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Raposo, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (19.1%) and Two or More Races (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Raposo
The surname Raposo has its origins in Portugal, dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Portuguese word "raposo," which means "fox." This suggests that the name may have initially been used as a descriptive nickname or a reference to an individual's physical appearance or personality traits associated with a fox, such as cunning or slyness.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Raposo surname can be found in the medieval Portuguese records from the 13th and 14th centuries. These records often list individuals by their first name followed by their surname or a descriptive nickname. The Raposo surname was likely used to distinguish individuals with this particular characteristic or connection to foxes.
Over the centuries, the Raposo surname has been documented in various historical records and manuscripts across Portugal. For example, in the 15th century, a nobleman named João Raposo was mentioned in chronicles as a military commander who participated in the Portuguese conquest of Ceuta in 1415. Another notable figure was Pedro Raposo, a Portuguese explorer and navigator who accompanied Vasco da Gama on his voyage to India in 1497-1499.
In the 16th century, a prominent individual bearing the Raposo surname was Fernão Raposo, a Portuguese poet and writer who was born in Lisbon around 1500. His works include poetry collections and plays that reflect the cultural and literary trends of the Renaissance era in Portugal.
Fast forward to the 18th century, Manuel Raposo was a renowned Portuguese architect responsible for designing several notable buildings in Lisbon, including the Church of Santa Engrácia, which is now part of the National Pantheon.
Another noteworthy figure was Joaquim Raposo Botelho, a military officer and statesman who served as the Governor-General of Portuguese India from 1786 to 1790. He played a significant role in strengthening Portuguese rule in the region during a turbulent period.
Throughout its history, the Raposo surname has been associated with various place names and regions within Portugal. Some examples include the towns of Raposo, located in the municipalities of Boticas and Vila Real, where the surname is believed to have originated or been particularly prevalent.
While the Raposo surname is primarily associated with Portugal, it has also spread to other parts of the world through migration and Portuguese exploration and colonization efforts. Over time, the spelling and pronunciation of the name may have evolved slightly in different regions, but its origins can be traced back to the Portuguese word "raposo" and its historical significance within the country's cultural and linguistic heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Raposo
Among Census respondents with the surname Raposo, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (19.1%) and Two or More Races (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Raposo 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 Raposo surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White78.6% · 2,141
- Hispanic or Latino19.1% · 519
- Two or more races1.0% · 27
- Black or African American0.7% · 18
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 16
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Raposo
Raposo 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
#11,179
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,829
+381 bearers (+15.6%)
Per 100,000 0.96
Rank movement Up 550 places
2020
#11,116
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,724
-105 bearers (-3.7%)
Per 100,000 0.91
Rank movement Up 63 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,729 | 2,448 | 0.91 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,179 | 2,829 | 0.96 | +381 bearers (+15.6%) | Up 550 places |
| 2020 | #11,116 | 2,724 | 0.91 | -105 bearers (-3.7%) | Up 63 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 Raposo 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 | #11,179 | #11,116 | 0.6% |
| Count | 2,829 | 2,724 | -3.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.96 | 0.91 | -5.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Raposo bearers went from 2,829 to 2,724 (-3.7% change). The surname moved up 63 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,179 to #11,116.
FAQ
Raposo surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Raposo?
Name Census estimates that about 3,124 living Americans carry the surname Raposo. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 109,716 residents.
How common is Raposo?
Raposo ranks #11,116 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.91 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 2,724 people with the surname Raposo. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,124), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.91 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.91 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 Raposo.
Has Raposo become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Raposo went from 2,829 recorded bearers to 2,724. That is a decrease of 105 (-3.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #11,179 to #11,116.
What does the Census say about the background of Raposo?
Among Census respondents with the surname Raposo, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (19.1%) and Two or More Races (1.0%). 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 Raposo in the 2020 Census, accounting for 78.6% (2,141 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Raposo appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (78.6%), Hispanic (19.1%), Two or More Races (1.0%). 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 Raposo (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 Raposo mean?
A Portuguese and Galician surname meaning "fox," likely referring to someone cunning or with red hair. 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 Raposo (0.91 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 Americans have the surname Raposo?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.