2000
#10,821
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,704
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.00
Rare Last name
Salamanca
A locational surname referring to someone from the city of Salamanca in western Spain.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,694 Americans carry the last name Salamanca. That puts it at #7,780 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.37 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 73,020 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Salamanca 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
4.7K
1 in 73,020
Census rank
#7,780
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,093 bearers of the surname Salamanca in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.37 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7780th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Salamanca, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 86.4%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (7.9%) and White (4.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Salamanca
The surname Salamanca originates from Spain, specifically from the city of Salamanca in the Castile and León region. The name itself derives from the ancient Celtic word "Salmantica," which translates to "golden town" or "town in the plain."
The city of Salamanca has a rich history dating back to the Iron Age, and it was an important settlement during the Roman era. The name Salamanca appears in various historical records from this period, including Roman manuscripts and inscriptions.
In the Middle Ages, the city of Salamanca gained significant prominence as a center of learning and culture. The University of Salamanca, founded in 1218, was one of the oldest and most prestigious universities in Europe. Several notable scholars and intellectuals with the surname Salamanca were associated with this institution.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Salamanca can be found in the Siete Partidas, a legal code compiled during the reign of Alfonso X of Castile in the 13th century. The document mentions individuals with the surname, indicating its existence during that time.
Over the centuries, the surname Salamanca has been associated with various notable figures. One of the most famous bearers of this name was Rodrigo de Salamanca (1392-1463), a Spanish nobleman and military commander who played a crucial role in the Reconquista, the campaign to retake the Iberian Peninsula from the Moors.
Another prominent individual with the surname Salamanca was Juan de Salamanca (1480-1545), a Spanish conquistador and explorer who accompanied Hernán Cortés in the conquest of Mexico. He is known for his participation in the Battle of Otumba and his subsequent settlement in the town of Salamanca de Naucalpan.
In the field of art and architecture, Diego de Salamanca (1516-1575) was a renowned Spanish architect and sculptor who contributed to the design and construction of several notable buildings, including the Cathedral of Segovia.
The surname Salamanca also gained recognition in the realm of literature. Miguel de Cervantes, the celebrated author of Don Quixote, mentioned the name Salamanca in his works, reflecting its presence in Spanish society during the 16th century.
Additionally, Juan de Salamanca y Mayol (1562-1625) was a Spanish theologian and philosopher who served as the rector of the University of Salamanca and played a significant role in the intellectual discussions of his time.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Salamanca
Among Census respondents with the surname Salamanca, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 86.4%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (7.9%) and White (4.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Salamanca 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 Salamanca surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino86.4% · 3,537
- Asian and Pacific Islander7.9% · 322
- White4.5% · 185
- Two or more races0.8% · 32
- Black or African American0.2% · 9
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Salamanca
Salamanca 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
#8,386
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,947
+1,243 bearers (+46.0%)
Per 100,000 1.34
Rank movement Up 2,435 places
2020
#7,780
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,093
+146 bearers (+3.7%)
Per 100,000 1.37
Rank movement Up 606 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,821 | 2,704 | 1.00 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,386 | 3,947 | 1.34 | +1,243 bearers (+46.0%) | Up 2,435 places |
| 2020 | #7,780 | 4,093 | 1.37 | +146 bearers (+3.7%) | Up 606 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 Salamanca 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 | #8,386 | #7,780 | 7.2% |
| Count | 3,947 | 4,093 | 3.7% |
| Per 100K | 1.34 | 1.37 | 2.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Salamanca bearers went from 3,947 to 4,093 (+3.7% change). The surname moved up 606 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,386 to #7,780.
FAQ
Salamanca surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Salamanca?
Name Census estimates that about 4,694 living Americans carry the surname Salamanca. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 73,020 residents.
How common is Salamanca?
Salamanca ranks #7,780 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.37 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 4,093 people with the surname Salamanca. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,694), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.37 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.37 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 Salamanca.
Has Salamanca become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Salamanca went from 3,947 recorded bearers to 4,093. That is an increase of 146 (+3.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #8,386 to #7,780.
What does the Census say about the background of Salamanca?
Among Census respondents with the surname Salamanca, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 86.4%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (7.9%) and White (4.5%). 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 Salamanca in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.4% (3,537 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Salamanca appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (86.4%), Asian/Pacific Islander (7.9%), White (4.5%). 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 Salamanca (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 Salamanca mean?
A locational surname referring to someone from the city of Salamanca in western Spain. 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 Salamanca (1.37 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 Salamanca?
You can see how many people have the last name Salamanca on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.