2000
#1,445
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 22,689
First available Census row
Per 100,000 8.41
Uncommon Last name
Segura
A Spanish toponymic surname indicating a person who lived near a field or pasture, derived from the Spanish word "segura."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 34,573 Americans carry the last name Segura. That puts it at #1,142 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 10.09 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 9,914 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Segura 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
35K
1 in 9,914
Census rank
#1,142
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
10.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
30K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 30,149 bearers of the surname Segura in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 10.09 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1142nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Segura, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 88.9%. The next largest groups are White (8.5%) and Black (1.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Segura
The surname Segura originated in Spain, with its roots dating back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Spanish word "seguro," which means "secure" or "safe." This name was likely given to individuals who lived in a secure or protected area, or those who held positions related to safety or security.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Segura can be found in various historical documents from the 13th and 14th centuries, particularly in regions such as Andalusia and Castile. In some cases, the name was also associated with specific towns or villages, such as Segura de la Sierra in Jaén province.
One notable historical figure bearing the surname Segura was Juan de Segura, a Spanish prelate and theologian born in 1520. He served as the Bishop of Ghent and was an influential figure during the Spanish Inquisition. Another prominent individual was Diego de Segura, a Spanish conquistador who participated in the conquest of Mexico alongside Hernán Cortés in the early 16th century.
In the 15th century, records show a Rodrigo de Segura who was a renowned architect and master builder responsible for the construction of several significant structures in Seville, including portions of the Alcázar and the Cathedral.
During the 16th century, a notable figure was Gaspar de Segura, a Spanish explorer and navigator who accompanied Ferdinand Magellan on his famous voyage around the world. Segura went on to become a prominent figure in the Spanish colonization of the Philippines.
In the realm of literature, Juan José Segura y Fernández was a Spanish dramatist and poet born in 1785, known for his contributions to the Romantic literary movement in Spain.
While the surname Segura has its origins in Spain, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to migration and diaspora. However, its rich history and significance can be traced back to the medieval era in the Iberian Peninsula, where it was closely associated with concepts of security, protection, and fortification.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Segura
Among Census respondents with the surname Segura, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 88.9%. The next largest groups are White (8.5%) and Black (1.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Segura 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 Segura surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino88.9% · 26,807
- White8.5% · 2,560
- Black or African American1.3% · 401
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 155
- Two or more races0.5% · 140
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 86
Timeline
Historical Census data for Segura
Segura 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
#1,136
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 30,880
+8,191 bearers (+36.1%)
Per 100,000 10.47
Rank movement Up 309 places
2020
#1,142
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 30,149
-731 bearers (-2.4%)
Per 100,000 10.09
Rank movement Down 6 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,445 | 22,689 | 8.41 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,136 | 30,880 | 10.47 | +8,191 bearers (+36.1%) | Up 309 places |
| 2020 | #1,142 | 30,149 | 10.09 | -731 bearers (-2.4%) | Down 6 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 Segura 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 | #1,136 | #1,142 | -0.5% |
| Count | 30,880 | 30,149 | -2.4% |
| Per 100K | 10.47 | 10.09 | -3.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Segura bearers went from 30,880 to 30,149 (-2.4% change). The surname moved down 6 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,136 to #1,142.
FAQ
Segura surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Segura?
Name Census estimates that about 34,573 living Americans carry the surname Segura. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 9,914 residents.
How common is Segura?
Segura ranks #1,142 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 10.09 per 100,000 residents, which is about 10 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 30,149 people with the surname Segura. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (34,573), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 10.09 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 10.09 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 10 of them to have the surname Segura.
Has Segura become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Segura went from 30,880 recorded bearers to 30,149. That is a decrease of 731 (-2.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,136 to #1,142.
What does the Census say about the background of Segura?
Among Census respondents with the surname Segura, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 88.9%. The next largest groups are White (8.5%) and Black (1.3%). 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 Segura in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.9% (26,807 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Segura appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (88.9%), White (8.5%), Black (1.3%). 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 Segura (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 Segura mean?
A Spanish toponymic surname indicating a person who lived near a field or pasture, derived from the Spanish word "segura." 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 Segura (10.09 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 Segura?
Want to know how common the surname Segura is? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.