2000
#5,101
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,314
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.34
Rare Last name
Samaniego
A Spanish habitational surname referring to someone from any of the various places named Samaniego in Spain.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 9,309 Americans carry the last name Samaniego. That puts it at #4,226 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.72 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 36,820 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Samaniego 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
9.3K
1 in 36,820
Census rank
#4,226
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
8.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 8,118 bearers of the surname Samaniego in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.72 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4226th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Samaniego, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 85.9%. The next largest groups are White (6.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (5.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Samaniego
The surname Samaniego is of Spanish origin, with its roots traced back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old Spanish word "samaniego," which is believed to be a combination of the words "sama" and "niego," meaning "frost" and "denied" or "rejected," respectively. This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived in a region prone to frost or someone who worked in an occupation related to dealing with frost.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname Samaniego can be found in medieval Spanish documents from the regions of Castile and Aragon. It is believed that the name may have originated in these areas, particularly in small rural villages or towns where families took on surnames based on their occupations, locations, or distinctive physical traits.
One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Samaniego was Juan Samaniego, a Spanish poet and fabulist who lived from 1745 to 1801. He is renowned for his collection of fables, which were inspired by the works of Jean de La Fontaine and Aesop, and his contributions to the literary tradition of Spain during the Age of Enlightenment.
Another notable bearer of the surname was Miguel Samaniego, a Spanish military officer who fought in the Spanish-American War. He was born in 1867 and served as a captain in the Spanish Army during the conflict, participating in key battles such as the Battle of Las Guasimas and the Siege of Santiago de Cuba.
In the realm of sports, José Samaniego was a Spanish professional footballer who played as a defender for various clubs, including Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid, in the early 20th century. He was born in 1890 and is remembered for his contributions to the development of football in Spain during its formative years.
Another individual of note is María Samaniego, a renowned Spanish artist and sculptor from the 20th century. Born in 1908, she is celebrated for her abstract and figurative works, many of which are displayed in museums and galleries across Spain and internationally.
Lastly, Ángel Samaniego was a Spanish politician and lawyer who served as a member of the Congress of Deputies, representing the province of Valladolid, in the late 19th century. He was born in 1842 and played a significant role in shaping the political landscape of Spain during his time in office.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Samaniego
Among Census respondents with the surname Samaniego, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 85.9%. The next largest groups are White (6.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (5.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Samaniego 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 Samaniego surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino85.9% · 6,974
- White6.7% · 543
- Asian and Pacific Islander5.9% · 483
- Two or more races0.8% · 69
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 28
- Black or African American0.3% · 21
Timeline
Historical Census data for Samaniego
Samaniego 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
#4,295
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,281
+1,967 bearers (+31.2%)
Per 100,000 2.81
Rank movement Up 806 places
2020
#4,226
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,118
-163 bearers (-2.0%)
Per 100,000 2.72
Rank movement Up 69 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,101 | 6,314 | 2.34 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,295 | 8,281 | 2.81 | +1,967 bearers (+31.2%) | Up 806 places |
| 2020 | #4,226 | 8,118 | 2.72 | -163 bearers (-2.0%) | 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 Samaniego 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 | #4,295 | #4,226 | 1.6% |
| Count | 8,281 | 8,118 | -2.0% |
| Per 100K | 2.81 | 2.72 | -3.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Samaniego bearers went from 8,281 to 8,118 (-2.0% change). The surname moved up 69 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,295 to #4,226.
FAQ
Samaniego surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Samaniego?
Name Census estimates that about 9,309 living Americans carry the surname Samaniego. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 36,820 residents.
How common is Samaniego?
Samaniego ranks #4,226 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.72 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 8,118 people with the surname Samaniego. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (9,309), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.72 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.72 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Samaniego.
Has Samaniego become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Samaniego went from 8,281 recorded bearers to 8,118. That is a decrease of 163 (-2.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #4,295 to #4,226.
What does the Census say about the background of Samaniego?
Among Census respondents with the surname Samaniego, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 85.9%. The next largest groups are White (6.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (5.9%). 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 Samaniego in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.9% (6,974 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Samaniego appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (85.9%), White (6.7%), Asian/Pacific Islander (5.9%). 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 Samaniego (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 Samaniego mean?
A Spanish habitational surname referring to someone from any of the various places named Samaniego 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 Samaniego (2.72 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 have the surname Samaniego?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.