2000
#287
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 96,303
First available Census row
Per 100,000 35.70
Common Last name
Sandoval
A Spanish habitational surname referring to someone from any of the various places named Sandoval.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 143,125 Americans carry the last name Sandoval. That puts it at #244 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 41.76 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,395 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sandoval 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Sandoval with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
143K
1 in 2,395
Census rank
#244
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
41.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
125K
common in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 124,812 bearers of the surname Sandoval in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 41.76 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 244th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sandoval, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 91.3%. The next largest groups are White (5.6%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sandoval
The surname Sandoval has its origins in the Spanish language and can be traced back to the medieval period in the Iberian Peninsula. It is believed to have originated from the toponym "Sandoval," referring to a valley or hollow area surrounded by sandy or arid terrain.
One of the earliest documented mentions of the Sandoval surname dates back to the 12th century in the region of Castile, Spain. It is recorded in the "Libro de las Behetrías," an ancient manuscript detailing land ownership and privileges granted to noble families in the region.
During the 13th and 14th centuries, the Sandoval family gained prominence and established themselves as a noble lineage. Notable figures from this period include Fernán García de Sandoval (c. 1260-1325), a renowned military commander who played a crucial role in the conquest of Seville from the Moors, and Gutierre Díaz de Sandoval (c. 1310-1378), a trusted advisor to King Pedro I of Castile.
As the Sandoval family expanded and dispersed throughout Spain and its territories, variations in the spelling of the surname emerged, such as Sandoval, Sandoval, and Sandoval. Some branches of the family adopted the name as a place of origin, like the Sandoval de Lemos and the Sandoval de Chaves families.
In the 16th century, during the Spanish colonization of the Americas, several individuals bearing the Sandoval surname made significant contributions. One notable figure was Gonzalo de Sandoval (c. 1497-1528), a Spanish conquistador who accompanied Hernán Cortés in the conquest of Mexico. Another was Álvaro de Sandoval (c. 1520-1585), a Spanish explorer and governor of New Mexico.
In later centuries, the Sandoval surname continued to be widespread throughout Spain, Latin America, and other Spanish-speaking regions. Notable individuals include Jerónimo Sandoval y Rojas (1573-1619), a Spanish poet and playwright, and Mariano Sandoval (1791-1862), a Mexican military officer and politician who served as the acting president of Mexico in 1837.
Other individuals with the Sandoval surname who left their mark on history include Miguel Sandoval (1951-), a Mexican-American actor known for his roles in films such as "Jurassic Park" and "Clear and Present Danger," and Arturo Sandoval (1949-), a renowned Cuban jazz trumpeter and composer.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sandoval
Among Census respondents with the surname Sandoval, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 91.3%. The next largest groups are White (5.6%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Sandoval 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 Sandoval surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino91.3% · 113,911
- White5.6% · 7,021
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.7% · 2,176
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 835
- Two or more races0.4% · 517
- Black or African American0.3% · 352
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sandoval
Sandoval 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
#233
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 128,948
+32,645 bearers (+33.9%)
Per 100,000 43.71
Rank movement Up 54 places
2020
#244
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 124,812
-4,136 bearers (-3.2%)
Per 100,000 41.76
Rank movement Down 11 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #287 | 96,303 | 35.70 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #233 | 128,948 | 43.71 | +32,645 bearers (+33.9%) | Up 54 places |
| 2020 | #244 | 124,812 | 41.76 | -4,136 bearers (-3.2%) | Down 11 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 Sandoval 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 | #233 | #244 | -4.7% |
| Count | 128,948 | 124,812 | -3.2% |
| Per 100K | 43.71 | 41.76 | -4.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sandoval bearers went from 128,948 to 124,812 (-3.2% change). The surname moved down 11 positions in the national ranking, going from #233 to #244.
FAQ
Sandoval surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sandoval?
Name Census estimates that about 143,125 living Americans carry the surname Sandoval. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,395 residents.
How common is Sandoval?
Sandoval ranks #244 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Common." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 41.76 per 100,000 residents, which is about 42 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 124,812 people with the surname Sandoval. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (143,125), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 41.76 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 41.76 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 42 of them to have the surname Sandoval.
Has Sandoval become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sandoval went from 128,948 recorded bearers to 124,812. That is a decrease of 4,136 (-3.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #233 to #244.
What does the Census say about the background of Sandoval?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sandoval, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 91.3%. The next largest groups are White (5.6%) 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 Sandoval in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.3% (113,911 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sandoval appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (91.3%), White (5.6%), 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 Sandoval (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 Sandoval mean?
A Spanish habitational surname referring to someone from any of the various places named Sandoval. 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 Sandoval (41.76 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 share the surname Sandoval?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.