2000
#116,123
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 139
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Siera
A surname derived from a geographic location in Spain.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 124 Americans carry the last name Siera. That puts it at #150,935 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,764,148 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Siera 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
124
1 in 2,764,148
Census rank
#150,935
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
108
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 108 bearers of the surname Siera in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150935th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Siera, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 69.4%. The next largest groups are White (22.2%) and Black (4.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Siera
The surname "Siera" is believed to have originated in Spain, with its roots dating back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Spanish word "sierra," which means "mountain range" or "saw." This name likely has its origins in the mountainous regions of Spain, where it may have been given to those who lived or worked in the sierra.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname can be found in the parish records of Andalusia, where a Pedro Siera was listed as a resident in the late 15th century. During this time, the name was also documented in various legal documents and property records across the southern regions of Spain.
In the 16th century, the Siera name began to appear in other parts of the Iberian Peninsula, including Portugal. This expansion of the name was likely due to migration patterns and the widespread influence of the Spanish language and culture during this era.
One notable historical figure bearing the Siera surname was Juan Siera, a Spanish explorer and navigator who accompanied Hernán Cortés on his expedition to Mexico in the early 1500s. Siera played a crucial role in mapping and charting the Gulf of Mexico and the surrounding coastlines during this pivotal period of exploration and conquest.
Another individual of note was María Siera, a renowned Spanish poet and writer who lived in the late 17th century. Her works, which often reflected the struggles and experiences of women in her time, were widely celebrated and helped to shed light on the societal conditions faced by women during the Spanish Golden Age.
In the 18th century, the Siera name found its way to the Americas, with many families bearing this surname settling in the Spanish colonies of the New World. One such individual was Diego Siera, a prominent landowner and rancher who established a successful cattle operation in what is now Texas in the mid-1700s.
As the centuries progressed, the Siera name continued to spread across the globe, with families bearing this surname establishing roots in various countries and regions. Notably, a line of the Siera family can be traced to the French region of Occitania, where the name is believed to have been introduced by Spanish settlers in the Middle Ages.
Throughout its long and varied history, the surname "Siera" has been borne by countless individuals, each contributing to the rich tapestry of human experience in their own unique way. From explorers and writers to landowners and artists, the Siera name has left an indelible mark on the cultural and historical fabric of the world.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Siera
Among Census respondents with the surname Siera, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 69.4%. The next largest groups are White (22.2%) and Black (4.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Siera 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 Siera surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino69.4% · 75
- White22.2% · 24
- Black or African American4.6% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.8% · 3
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Siera
Siera 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
#133,863
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 126
-13 bearers (-9.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 17,740 places
2020
#150,935
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
-18 bearers (-14.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 17,072 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #116,123 | 139 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #133,863 | 126 | 0.04 | -13 bearers (-9.4%) | Down 17,740 places |
| 2020 | #150,935 | 108 | 0.04 | -18 bearers (-14.3%) | Down 17,072 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 Siera 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 | #133,863 | #150,935 | -12.8% |
| Count | 126 | 108 | -14.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -9.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Siera bearers went from 126 to 108 (-14.3% change). The surname moved down 17,072 positions in the national ranking, going from #133,863 to #150,935.
FAQ
Siera surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Siera?
Name Census estimates that about 124 living Americans carry the surname Siera. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,764,148 residents.
How common is Siera?
Siera ranks #150,935 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 108 people with the surname Siera. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (124), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Siera.
Has Siera become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Siera went from 126 recorded bearers to 108. That is a decrease of 18 (-14.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #133,863 to #150,935.
What does the Census say about the background of Siera?
Among Census respondents with the surname Siera, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 69.4%. The next largest groups are White (22.2%) and Black (4.6%). 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 Siera in the 2020 Census, accounting for 69.4% (75 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Siera appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (69.4%), White (22.2%), Black (4.6%). 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 Siera (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 Siera mean?
A surname derived from a geographic location in Spain. 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 Siera (0.04 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 Siera?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.