2000
#11,948
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,399
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.89
Rare Last name
Serpa
A Portuguese topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a thicket of brush or brambles.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,748 Americans carry the last name Serpa. That puts it at #12,379 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.80 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 124,729 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Serpa 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
2.7K
1 in 124,729
Census rank
#12,379
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,396 bearers of the surname Serpa in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.80 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12379th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Serpa, the largest self-reported group is White at 61.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (35.1%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Serpa
The surname Serpa has its origins in the Iberian Peninsula, specifically in Portugal. It is believed to have emerged during the medieval period, around the 12th or 13th century. The name is believed to be derived from the Portuguese word "serra," which means "mountain range" or "saw," referring to the rugged, mountainous terrain of the region.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Serpa can be found in the "Livro Velho de Linhagens" (Old Book of Lineages), a Portuguese genealogical record from the 14th century. This document mentions individuals with the surname Serpa, indicating their presence in Portugal during that time.
The name Serpa is also associated with the town of the same name in the Alentejo region of southern Portugal. The town of Serpa dates back to the Roman era and was known as "Serpensis" during that period. It is possible that the surname originated from this place name or was influenced by it.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals bearing the surname Serpa. One of the earliest recorded figures was João Serpa, a Portuguese explorer who participated in the exploration of the coast of West Africa in the 15th century. He was part of the expeditions led by the renowned Portuguese navigator Diogo Cão.
Another notable figure was Baltasar Serpa Pinto, a Portuguese explorer and military officer born in 1837. He is renowned for his expeditions across southern Africa, including his crossing of the continent from Angola to Mozambique in the late 19th century.
In the realm of literature, the Portuguese author and poet António Serpa, born in 1925, is a prominent figure. His works have received critical acclaim and have contributed significantly to the literary landscape of Portugal.
Moving to the realm of sports, the Brazilian footballer Edmundo Serpa, born in 1956, had a successful career playing for various clubs in Brazil and Portugal. He was part of the Brazilian national team that competed in the 1978 FIFA World Cup.
Lastly, Antônio Joaquim de Serpa, born in 1818 in Brazil, was a notable military figure and politician. He served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of the Empire of Brazil and played a significant role in the political landscape of the country during the 19th century.
These are just a few examples of individuals who have carried the surname Serpa throughout history, highlighting its Portuguese roots and its presence in various fields and regions over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Serpa
Among Census respondents with the surname Serpa, the largest self-reported group is White at 61.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (35.1%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Serpa 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 Serpa surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White61.1% · 1,465
- Hispanic or Latino35.1% · 842
- Two or more races1.8% · 43
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 21
- Black or African American0.6% · 14
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 11
Timeline
Historical Census data for Serpa
Serpa 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
#12,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,547
+148 bearers (+6.2%)
Per 100,000 0.86
Rank movement Down 273 places
2020
#12,379
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,396
-151 bearers (-5.9%)
Per 100,000 0.80
Rank movement Down 158 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,948 | 2,399 | 0.89 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,221 | 2,547 | 0.86 | +148 bearers (+6.2%) | Down 273 places |
| 2020 | #12,379 | 2,396 | 0.80 | -151 bearers (-5.9%) | Down 158 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 Serpa 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 | #12,221 | #12,379 | -1.3% |
| Count | 2,547 | 2,396 | -5.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.86 | 0.80 | -6.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Serpa bearers went from 2,547 to 2,396 (-5.9% change). The surname moved down 158 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,221 to #12,379.
FAQ
Serpa surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Serpa?
Name Census estimates that about 2,748 living Americans carry the surname Serpa. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 124,729 residents.
How common is Serpa?
Serpa ranks #12,379 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.80 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 2,396 people with the surname Serpa. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,748), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.8 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.80 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 Serpa.
Has Serpa become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Serpa went from 2,547 recorded bearers to 2,396. That is a decrease of 151 (-5.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #12,221 to #12,379.
What does the Census say about the background of Serpa?
Among Census respondents with the surname Serpa, the largest self-reported group is White at 61.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (35.1%) and Two or More Races (1.8%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Serpa in the 2020 Census, accounting for 61.1% (1,465 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Serpa appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (61.1%), Hispanic (35.1%), Two or More Races (1.8%). 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 Serpa (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 Serpa mean?
A Portuguese topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a thicket of brush or brambles. 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 Serpa (0.80 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 Serpa?
Want to know how many people have the surname Serpa? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.