2000
#139,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Sepulueda
A Basque surname derived from a place name meaning "the little church or chapel".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 116 Americans carry the last name Sepulueda. That puts it at #155,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,954,779 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sepulueda 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
116
1 in 2,954,779
Census rank
#155,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
101
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 101 bearers of the surname Sepulueda in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 155270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sepulueda, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 91.1%. The next largest groups are White (7.9%) and Black (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sepulueda
The surname Sepulueda has its origins in Spain, with records indicating its presence dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to have originated from the Spanish region of Castile, possibly deriving from the Castilian Spanish phrase "sepultura hueca," which translates to "hollow tomb" or "burial place."
In the late 12th century, a document known as the Becerro de las Behetrías mentions a nobleman named Rodrigo Sepulueda, who held lands in the village of Sepúlveda, located in the province of Segovia. It is likely that the surname Sepulueda evolved from the toponym Sepúlveda, as it was common practice for individuals to adopt place names as surnames during that era.
Notable historical figures bearing the Sepulueda surname include Juan de Sepulueda (1490-1572), a Spanish humanist and theologian who served as a translator and secretary to Pope Clement VII. Another prominent individual was Pedro de Sepulueda (1545-1604), a Spanish historian and author who wrote extensively on the history of Mexico and the conquest of the Aztec Empire.
In the 16th century, records show the presence of the Sepulueda family in the Spanish colonies of the Americas, particularly in Mexico and Peru. One notable figure from this period was Diego de Sepulueda (1570-1638), a Spanish conquistador and explorer who participated in the conquest of Chile and later became a prominent landowner in the region.
Another significant individual was María de Sepulueda (1628-1692), a Spanish nun and mystic who founded the Convent of the Immaculate Conception in Quito, Ecuador. Her writings and teachings on spiritual matters gained her a reputation as a prominent religious figure in colonial South America.
Throughout the centuries, the Sepulueda surname has been associated with various notable individuals across different fields, including literature, academia, and politics. While the exact origins of the name may be debated, its roots can be traced back to the medieval period in Spain, where it was likely derived from a place name or geographic location.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sepulueda
Among Census respondents with the surname Sepulueda, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 91.1%. The next largest groups are White (7.9%) and Black (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Sepulueda 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 Sepulueda surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino91.1% · 92
- White7.9% · 8
- Black or African American1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sepulueda
Sepulueda 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
#136,449
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 123
+13 bearers (+11.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 3,308 places
2020
#155,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
-22 bearers (-17.9%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 18,821 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #139,757 | 110 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #136,449 | 123 | 0.04 | +13 bearers (+11.8%) | Up 3,308 places |
| 2020 | #155,270 | 101 | 0.03 | -22 bearers (-17.9%) | Down 18,821 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 Sepulueda 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 | #136,449 | #155,270 | -13.8% |
| Count | 123 | 101 | -17.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -15.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sepulueda bearers went from 123 to 101 (-17.9% change). The surname moved down 18,821 positions in the national ranking, going from #136,449 to #155,270.
FAQ
Sepulueda surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sepulueda?
Name Census estimates that about 116 living Americans carry the surname Sepulueda. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,954,779 residents.
How common is Sepulueda?
Sepulueda ranks #155,270 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 101 people with the surname Sepulueda. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (116), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Sepulueda.
Has Sepulueda become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sepulueda went from 123 recorded bearers to 101. That is a decrease of 22 (-17.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #136,449 to #155,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Sepulueda?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sepulueda, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 91.1%. The next largest groups are White (7.9%) and Black (1.0%). 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 Sepulueda in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.1% (92 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sepulueda appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (91.1%), White (7.9%), Black (1.0%). 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 Sepulueda (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 Sepulueda mean?
A Basque surname derived from a place name meaning "the little church or chapel". 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 Sepulueda (0.03 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 Sepulueda?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.