2000
#10,400
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,840
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.05
Rare Last name
Samora
A Spanish surname derived from the place name Zamora, which likely comes from the Arabic word "samura" meaning "wild olive."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,920 Americans carry the last name Samora. That puts it at #11,768 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.85 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 117,382 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Samora 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
2.9K
1 in 117,382
Census rank
#11,768
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,546 bearers of the surname Samora in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.85 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11768th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Samora, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 81.3%. The next largest groups are White (14.1%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Samora
The surname "SAMORA" is believed to have originated in Portugal, with its roots dating back to the late medieval period or the Renaissance era. It is thought to be derived from the Portuguese word "salmora," which refers to a type of salt brine or pickle solution used for preserving food.
This surname likely emerged as a descriptive name for individuals involved in the production or trade of salted or pickled goods, such as fish, meats, or vegetables. It may have been initially applied as an occupational surname or a reference to a particular location associated with salt production or pickling industries.
One of the earliest records of the name "SAMORA" can be found in the archives of the Portuguese royal court during the 15th century. It is mentioned in a document from 1472, which lists a merchant named João Samora, who was engaged in the trade of salted cod with the coastal regions of Portugal and Spain.
In the 16th century, the name appeared in the records of the Inquisition in Portugal, where a family named Samora was investigated for alleged crypto-Jewish practices. This suggests that the name had already become well-established among certain communities by that time.
Notable individuals with the surname "SAMORA" throughout history include:
1. Pedro Samora (1510-1582), a Portuguese explorer and navigator who accompanied Ferdinand Magellan on his famous circumnavigation voyage in the early 16th century.
2. Maria Samora (1615-1678), a renowned Portuguese painter known for her religious artwork and portraits, which adorned many churches and monasteries in Lisbon.
3. Joaquim Samora (1780-1842), a Portuguese military officer who fought in the Peninsular War against Napoleon's forces and later became a prominent figure in the Liberal Revolutions of the early 19th century.
4. Luísa Samora (1835-1912), a pioneering educator and advocate for women's rights in Portugal, who founded one of the first schools for girls in Porto.
5. Tomás Samora (1905-1982), a Portuguese-American architect and urban planner who played a significant role in the development of several major cities in the United States, including Los Angeles and San Francisco.
While the surname "SAMORA" has its roots in Portugal, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through Portuguese exploration and colonization efforts, as well as migration patterns in more recent times.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Samora
Among Census respondents with the surname Samora, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 81.3%. The next largest groups are White (14.1%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Samora 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 Samora surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino81.3% · 2,071
- White14.1% · 360
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.7% · 43
- Two or more races1.6% · 40
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 17
- Black or African American0.6% · 15
Timeline
Historical Census data for Samora
Samora 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
#10,140
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,180
+340 bearers (+12.0%)
Per 100,000 1.08
Rank movement Up 260 places
2020
#11,768
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,546
-634 bearers (-19.9%)
Per 100,000 0.85
Rank movement Down 1,628 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,400 | 2,840 | 1.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,140 | 3,180 | 1.08 | +340 bearers (+12.0%) | Up 260 places |
| 2020 | #11,768 | 2,546 | 0.85 | -634 bearers (-19.9%) | Down 1,628 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 Samora 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 | #10,140 | #11,768 | -16.1% |
| Count | 3,180 | 2,546 | -19.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.08 | 0.85 | -21.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Samora bearers went from 3,180 to 2,546 (-19.9% change). The surname moved down 1,628 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,140 to #11,768.
FAQ
Samora surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Samora?
Name Census estimates that about 2,920 living Americans carry the surname Samora. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 117,382 residents.
How common is Samora?
Samora ranks #11,768 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.85 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 2,546 people with the surname Samora. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,920), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.85 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.85 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 Samora.
Has Samora become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Samora went from 3,180 recorded bearers to 2,546. That is a decrease of 634 (-19.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #10,140 to #11,768.
What does the Census say about the background of Samora?
Among Census respondents with the surname Samora, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 81.3%. The next largest groups are White (14.1%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.7%). 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 Samora in the 2020 Census, accounting for 81.3% (2,071 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Samora appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (81.3%), White (14.1%), American Indian/Alaska Native (1.7%). 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 Samora (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 Samora mean?
A Spanish surname derived from the place name Zamora, which likely comes from the Arabic word "samura" meaning "wild olive." 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 Samora (0.85 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 Samora?
If you just want to know how many people have the last name Samora, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.