2000
#1,662
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 19,751
First available Census row
Per 100,000 7.32
Uncommon Last name
Serna
A Spanish toponymic surname referring to someone living near a crag, cliff, or ridge.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 28,492 Americans carry the last name Serna. That puts it at #1,398 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 8.31 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 12,030 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Serna 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
28K
1 in 12,030
Census rank
#1,398
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
8.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
25K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 24,846 bearers of the surname Serna in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 8.31 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1398th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Serna, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 90.2%. The next largest groups are White (7.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Serna
The surname Serna has its origins in Spain and dates back to the 8th century. It is derived from the Spanish word "sierra," which means a rugged mountain range or a saw. The name is believed to have originated from people who lived in or near the mountainous regions of Spain.
During the Middle Ages, the name Serna appeared in various historical records and documents, including the Becerro de Behetrías, a 14th-century manuscript that listed the names of landowners and their properties in the kingdom of Castile. Some of the earliest recorded examples of the name include Juan de la Serna, a nobleman who lived in the 13th century, and Pedro Serna, a merchant who traded goods between Spain and Portugal in the late 15th century.
The name Serna has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One of the most famous bearers of this surname was Sebastián Serna, a Spanish conquistador who accompanied Hernán Cortés during the conquest of Mexico in the early 16th century. Another prominent figure was Miguel Serna, a Spanish painter and sculptor who lived in the 17th century and was known for his religious artworks.
In the 19th century, Ignacio Serna (1801-1876) was a Mexican politician and military leader who played a significant role in the fight for Mexican independence. He served as the Governor of Jalisco and later became a General in the Mexican Army.
José Serna (1838-1899) was a Spanish painter and art professor who was renowned for his portraits and historical paintings. He taught at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Madrid and influenced many artists of his time.
Gaspar Serna (1892-1957) was a Mexican writer and poet who was part of the literary movement known as the "Contemporáneos." His works, which often explored themes of love and existentialism, were highly regarded and earned him recognition as one of the most important poets of his generation.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Serna
Among Census respondents with the surname Serna, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 90.2%. The next largest groups are White (7.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Serna 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 Serna surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino90.2% · 22,414
- White7.3% · 1,802
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.3% · 334
- Two or more races0.5% · 118
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 103
- Black or African American0.3% · 75
Timeline
Historical Census data for Serna
Serna 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
#1,390
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 25,503
+5,752 bearers (+29.1%)
Per 100,000 8.65
Rank movement Up 272 places
2020
#1,398
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 24,846
-657 bearers (-2.6%)
Per 100,000 8.31
Rank movement Down 8 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,662 | 19,751 | 7.32 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,390 | 25,503 | 8.65 | +5,752 bearers (+29.1%) | Up 272 places |
| 2020 | #1,398 | 24,846 | 8.31 | -657 bearers (-2.6%) | Down 8 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 Serna 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 | #1,390 | #1,398 | -0.6% |
| Count | 25,503 | 24,846 | -2.6% |
| Per 100K | 8.65 | 8.31 | -3.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Serna bearers went from 25,503 to 24,846 (-2.6% change). The surname moved down 8 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,390 to #1,398.
FAQ
Serna surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Serna?
Name Census estimates that about 28,492 living Americans carry the surname Serna. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 12,030 residents.
How common is Serna?
Serna ranks #1,398 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 8.31 per 100,000 residents, which is about 8 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 24,846 people with the surname Serna. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (28,492), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 8.31 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 8.31 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 8 of them to have the surname Serna.
Has Serna become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Serna went from 25,503 recorded bearers to 24,846. That is a decrease of 657 (-2.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,390 to #1,398.
What does the Census say about the background of Serna?
Among Census respondents with the surname Serna, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 90.2%. The next largest groups are White (7.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (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 Serna in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.2% (22,414 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Serna appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (90.2%), White (7.3%), Asian/Pacific Islander (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 Serna (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 Serna mean?
A Spanish toponymic surname referring to someone living near a crag, cliff, or ridge. 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 Serna (8.31 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 last name Serna?
Find out how many people are called Serna on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.