2000
#3,417
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,589
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.55
Uncommon Last name
Regalado
A Spanish surname meaning "gifted" or "presented," likely referring to a gift from a king or nobleman.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 14,807 Americans carry the last name Regalado. That puts it at #2,722 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 4.32 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 23,148 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Regalado 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
15K
1 in 23,148
Census rank
#2,722
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
4.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
13K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 12,912 bearers of the surname Regalado in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 4.32 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2722nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Regalado, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 89.2%. The next largest groups are White (5.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Regalado
The surname Regalado is of Spanish origin, rooted in the Latin word "regalatus," which means "endowed" or "gifted." It emerged during the Middle Ages in Spain, particularly in regions like Andalusia and Catalonia.
Regalado was initially used as a descriptive surname, often given to individuals considered blessed or gifted in some way. It may have also been bestowed upon those born into wealthy families or who received significant inheritances or dowries.
One of the earliest documented references to the name Regalado can be found in the Cartulario de San Juan de la Peña, a 12th-century manuscript from the Kingdom of Aragon. This cartulary contains records of donations and transactions involving individuals with the surname.
In the 14th century, a notable figure bearing the name was Fray Pedro Regalado (1390-1456), a Spanish friar and mystic known for his ascetic lifestyle and reported miracles. He was canonized as a saint by the Catholic Church in 1746.
Another early record of the surname Regalado appears in the Libro de Repartimiento de Sevilla, a document dating back to the 13th century, which details the distribution of land and properties in the city of Seville after its reconquest by the Christian forces.
During the 16th century, the name gained prominence with individuals like Don Diego Regalado de Cespedes (1515-1587), a Spanish lawyer and scholar who served as a judge in the Audiencia of Lima, Peru.
In the 18th century, Fray Manuel Regalado Herrera (1737-1815) was a prominent Mexican Franciscan friar and educator who founded several schools and colleges in his homeland.
As the Spanish Empire expanded, the surname Regalado spread to various regions, including the Americas and the Philippines. Notable individuals with this name include José Regalado Navarro (1880-1956), a renowned Cuban composer and conductor, and Regalado Romero (1884-1932), a Filipino politician and journalist who played a significant role in the Philippine Independence Movement.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Regalado
Among Census respondents with the surname Regalado, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 89.2%. The next largest groups are White (5.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Regalado 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 Regalado surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino89.2% · 11,522
- White5.8% · 755
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.8% · 494
- Two or more races0.6% · 80
- Black or African American0.3% · 38
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 23
Timeline
Historical Census data for Regalado
Regalado 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
#2,791
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,931
+3,342 bearers (+34.9%)
Per 100,000 4.38
Rank movement Up 626 places
2020
#2,722
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,912
-19 bearers (-0.1%)
Per 100,000 4.32
Rank movement Up 69 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,417 | 9,589 | 3.55 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,791 | 12,931 | 4.38 | +3,342 bearers (+34.9%) | Up 626 places |
| 2020 | #2,722 | 12,912 | 4.32 | -19 bearers (-0.1%) | Up 69 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 Regalado 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 | #2,791 | #2,722 | 2.5% |
| Count | 12,931 | 12,912 | -0.1% |
| Per 100K | 4.38 | 4.32 | -1.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Regalado bearers went from 12,931 to 12,912 (-0.1% change). The surname moved up 69 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,791 to #2,722.
FAQ
Regalado surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Regalado?
Name Census estimates that about 14,807 living Americans carry the surname Regalado. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 23,148 residents.
How common is Regalado?
Regalado ranks #2,722 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 4.32 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 12,912 people with the surname Regalado. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (14,807), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 4.32 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 4.32 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Regalado.
Has Regalado become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Regalado went from 12,931 recorded bearers to 12,912. That is a decrease of 19 (-0.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #2,791 to #2,722.
What does the Census say about the background of Regalado?
Among Census respondents with the surname Regalado, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 89.2%. The next largest groups are White (5.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.8%). 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 Regalado in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.2% (11,522 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Regalado appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (89.2%), White (5.8%), Asian/Pacific Islander (3.8%). 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 Regalado (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 Regalado mean?
A Spanish surname meaning "gifted" or "presented," likely referring to a gift from a king or nobleman. 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 Regalado (4.32 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 Regalado?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many Americans have the surname Regalado at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.