2010
#123,796
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 139
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Salamea
A Spanish surname derived from a town named Salamea in Spain.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 128 Americans carry the last name Salamea. That puts it at #147,954 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,677,768 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Salamea 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
128
1 in 2,677,768
Census rank
#147,954
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
112
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 112 bearers of the surname Salamea in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147954th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Salamea, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 91.1%. The next largest groups are White (7.1%) and Black (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Salamea
The surname Salamea is believed to have originated in Spain, specifically in the region of Salamanca. It is thought to be derived from the Latin word "salama," which means salamander. This connection to the salamander may indicate that the name's origins are tied to a family or individual who had some association with these amphibians, perhaps through a coat of arms or occupation.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Salamea can be found in the 14th century, when a nobleman named Rodrigo de Salamea was mentioned in a historical document from the Kingdom of Castile. This suggests that the name had already been established by this time and may have been used by members of the nobility or gentry.
During the 15th century, the Salamea surname appeared in various records from the city of Salamanca itself. This includes a reference to a merchant named Juan Salamea in a trade document from 1468. The prevalence of the name in this area lends credence to the theory of its Salamancan origins.
In the late 16th century, a notable figure named Pedro de Salamea was a Spanish explorer and conquistador who participated in the conquest of the Americas. He was part of the expeditions led by Hernán Cortés and is believed to have settled in what is now Mexico.
Another individual of historical significance bearing the Salamea surname was Beatriz de Salamea, a Spanish noblewoman who lived in the 17th century. She was known for her patronage of the arts and her support of various cultural and educational institutions in her hometown of Salamanca.
Moving into the 18th century, a prominent figure named Francisco Salamea was a renowned architect who designed several churches and public buildings in Spain, including the Basilica of San Isidro in Madrid. His work is considered a prime example of the Baroque architectural style popular during that era.
Throughout its history, the Salamea surname has also been associated with various place names in Spain. For example, there are references to a village called Salamea in the province of Ávila, as well as a hamlet bearing the same name in the province of Salamanca itself. These place names may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname over time.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Salamea
Among Census respondents with the surname Salamea, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 91.1%. The next largest groups are White (7.1%) and Black (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Salamea 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 Salamea surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino91.1% · 102
- White7.1% · 8
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Salamea
Salamea appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#147,954
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
-27 bearers (-19.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 24,158 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #123,796 | 139 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #147,954 | 112 | 0.04 | -27 bearers (-19.4%) | Down 24,158 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 Salamea 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 | #123,796 | #147,954 | -19.5% |
| Count | 139 | 112 | -19.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -25.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Salamea bearers went from 139 to 112 (-19.4% change). The surname moved down 24,158 positions in the national ranking, going from #123,796 to #147,954.
FAQ
Salamea surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Salamea?
Name Census estimates that about 128 living Americans carry the surname Salamea. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,677,768 residents.
How common is Salamea?
Salamea ranks #147,954 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 112 people with the surname Salamea. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (128), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Salamea.
Has Salamea become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Salamea went from 139 recorded bearers to 112. That is a decrease of 27 (-19.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #123,796 to #147,954.
What does the Census say about the background of Salamea?
Among Census respondents with the surname Salamea, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 91.1%. The next largest groups are White (7.1%) and Black (0.9%). 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 Salamea in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.1% (102 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Salamea appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (91.1%), White (7.1%), Black (0.9%). 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 Salamea (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 Salamea mean?
A Spanish surname derived from a town named Salamea in 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 Salamea (0.04 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 Salamea?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.