2000
#4,144
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,911
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.93
Uncommon Last name
Sifuentes
A Spanish surname derived from the place name Cifuentes, meaning "a hundred springs" or "a hundred fountains."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 12,476 Americans carry the last name Sifuentes. That puts it at #3,236 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.64 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 27,473 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sifuentes 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
12K
1 in 27,473
Census rank
#3,236
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
11K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 10,880 bearers of the surname Sifuentes in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.64 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3236th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sifuentes, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 94.1%. The next largest groups are White (4.9%) and Black (0.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sifuentes
The surname Sifuentes is of Spanish origin, and it is believed to have emerged during the medieval period in the region of Castile. This name is thought to derive from the Spanish words "si" (if) and "fuentes" (fountains or springs), suggesting a possible connection to a place or location with abundant water sources.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Sifuentes surname can be traced back to the 13th century, where it appeared in various historical documents from the Kingdom of Castile. Some scholars suggest that the name may have originated as a descriptive reference to individuals residing near or owning land with natural springs or fountains.
During the 15th century, the Sifuentes name gained prominence with the birth of Pedro Sifuentes (1415-1480), a renowned Spanish scholar and theologian. He authored several influential works on religious philosophy and served as an advisor to King Juan II of Aragon.
In the 16th century, the Sifuentes surname spread across the Spanish territories, including the Americas, as a result of the colonial expansion. One notable figure was Juan de Sifuentes (1538-1611), a Spanish conquistador who participated in the conquest of Peru alongside Francisco Pizarro.
The 17th century saw the rise of María Sifuentes (1620-1698), a celebrated Spanish painter known for her religious artwork and portraits. Her works can be found in various churches and museums across Spain.
As the centuries progressed, the Sifuentes name continued to appear in various historical records and documents. In the 19th century, José Sifuentes (1815-1891) gained recognition as a prominent Mexican politician and diplomat, serving as the Minister of Foreign Affairs during the Second Mexican Empire.
Another notable figure was Alejandro Sifuentes (1870-1945), a Chilean poet and writer whose works explored themes of nature, love, and social commentary. His poetry collections, such as "Cantos de la Tierra" (Songs of the Land), earned him critical acclaim and a place in Chilean literary history.
While the Sifuentes surname can be found in various parts of the world today, its roots can be traced back to the medieval Iberian Peninsula, where it emerged as a descriptive name reflecting the presence of natural water sources in the region.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sifuentes
Among Census respondents with the surname Sifuentes, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 94.1%. The next largest groups are White (4.9%) and Black (0.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Sifuentes 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 Sifuentes surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino94.1% · 10,241
- White4.9% · 532
- Black or African American0.3% · 31
- Two or more races0.3% · 29
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 24
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.2% · 23
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sifuentes
Sifuentes 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
#3,293
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,954
+3,043 bearers (+38.5%)
Per 100,000 3.71
Rank movement Up 851 places
2020
#3,236
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,880
-74 bearers (-0.7%)
Per 100,000 3.64
Rank movement Up 57 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,144 | 7,911 | 2.93 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,293 | 10,954 | 3.71 | +3,043 bearers (+38.5%) | Up 851 places |
| 2020 | #3,236 | 10,880 | 3.64 | -74 bearers (-0.7%) | Up 57 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 Sifuentes 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 | #3,293 | #3,236 | 1.7% |
| Count | 10,954 | 10,880 | -0.7% |
| Per 100K | 3.71 | 3.64 | -1.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sifuentes bearers went from 10,954 to 10,880 (-0.7% change). The surname moved up 57 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,293 to #3,236.
FAQ
Sifuentes surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sifuentes?
Name Census estimates that about 12,476 living Americans carry the surname Sifuentes. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 27,473 residents.
How common is Sifuentes?
Sifuentes ranks #3,236 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.64 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 10,880 people with the surname Sifuentes. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (12,476), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.64 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.64 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Sifuentes.
Has Sifuentes become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sifuentes went from 10,954 recorded bearers to 10,880. That is a decrease of 74 (-0.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #3,293 to #3,236.
What does the Census say about the background of Sifuentes?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sifuentes, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 94.1%. The next largest groups are White (4.9%) and Black (0.3%). 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 Sifuentes in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.1% (10,241 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sifuentes appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (94.1%), White (4.9%), Black (0.3%). 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 Sifuentes (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 Sifuentes mean?
A Spanish surname derived from the place name Cifuentes, meaning "a hundred springs" or "a hundred fountains." 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 Sifuentes (3.64 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 Sifuentes?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.