2000
#1,227
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 26,181
First available Census row
Per 100,000 9.71
Uncommon Last name
Sierra
A Spanish toponymic surname referring to someone who lived near or in a mountain range or sierra.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 41,211 Americans carry the last name Sierra. That puts it at #957 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 12.02 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 8,317 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sierra 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Sierra with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
41K
1 in 8,317
Census rank
#957
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
12.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
36K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 35,938 bearers of the surname Sierra in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 12.02 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 957th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sierra, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 90.5%. The next largest groups are White (7.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sierra
The surname Sierra is of Spanish origin, derived from the Spanish word "sierra" meaning a jagged mountain range or a sawlike ridge of hills. This name can be traced back to the 12th century in Spain, where it was likely first used as a descriptive term for people living near or working in mountainous regions.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Sierra can be found in the "Codice Diplomatico Portugues," a collection of historical documents from Portugal dating back to the 13th century. In this collection, a document from 1258 mentions a person named Pedro Sierra, potentially one of the earliest known instances of this surname.
The name Sierra may have also been derived from specific place names in Spain, such as Sierra Morena or Sierra Nevada, which are mountain ranges located in the southern part of the country. It's possible that individuals who lived near or worked in these areas adopted the surname Sierra as a way to identify their place of origin or occupation.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the surname Sierra. One prominent example is Juan de la Sierra, a Spanish explorer and conquistador who accompanied Hernán Cortés in the conquest of Mexico in the 16th century. Another notable figure is Tomás Sierra, a Mexican painter and engraver who lived from 1810 to 1868 and is known for his contributions to the Mexican art scene during the 19th century.
In the literary world, the surname Sierra is associated with Gregorio Sierra, a Spanish playwright and poet born in 1788 who wrote several plays and poems that were popular in his time. Another literary figure is Justo Sierra, a Mexican writer, philosopher, and politician who lived from 1848 to 1912 and played a significant role in the intellectual and political life of Mexico during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Additionally, the surname Sierra has been carried by military leaders, such as Ignacio Sierra, a Mexican general who fought in the Mexican-American War in the mid-19th century, and Sebastián Sierra, a Spanish military officer who served in the Spanish Army during the 18th century and participated in various campaigns in Europe and the Americas.
Over the centuries, the surname Sierra has spread to various parts of the world, particularly to countries with significant Spanish influence or immigration. While its origins can be traced back to Spain, the name has become a part of the cultural heritage of many nations, reflecting the diverse histories and migrations of people across different regions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sierra
Among Census respondents with the surname Sierra, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 90.5%. The next largest groups are White (7.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Sierra 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 Sierra surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino90.5% · 32,519
- White7.0% · 2,532
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 293
- Black or African American0.7% · 256
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 195
- Two or more races0.4% · 143
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sierra
Sierra 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
#973
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 35,770
+9,589 bearers (+36.6%)
Per 100,000 12.13
Rank movement Up 254 places
2020
#957
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 35,938
+168 bearers (+0.5%)
Per 100,000 12.02
Rank movement Up 16 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,227 | 26,181 | 9.71 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #973 | 35,770 | 12.13 | +9,589 bearers (+36.6%) | Up 254 places |
| 2020 | #957 | 35,938 | 12.02 | +168 bearers (+0.5%) | Up 16 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 Sierra 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 | #973 | #957 | 1.6% |
| Count | 35,770 | 35,938 | 0.5% |
| Per 100K | 12.13 | 12.02 | -0.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sierra bearers went from 35,770 to 35,938 (+0.5% change). The surname moved up 16 positions in the national ranking, going from #973 to #957.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Sierra
FAQ
Sierra surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sierra?
Name Census estimates that about 41,211 living Americans carry the surname Sierra. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 8,317 residents.
How common is Sierra?
Sierra ranks #957 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 12.02 per 100,000 residents, which is about 12 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 35,938 people with the surname Sierra. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (41,211), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 12.02 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 12.02 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 12 of them to have the surname Sierra.
Has Sierra become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sierra went from 35,770 recorded bearers to 35,938. That is an increase of 168 (+0.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #973 to #957.
What does the Census say about the background of Sierra?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sierra, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 90.5%. The next largest groups are White (7.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Sierra in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.5% (32,519 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sierra appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (90.5%), White (7.0%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%). 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 Sierra (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 Sierra mean?
A Spanish toponymic surname referring to someone who lived near or in a mountain range or sierra. 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 Sierra (12.02 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 surname Sierra?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.