2000
#7,347
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,177
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.55
Rare Last name
Sisneros
A Spanish habitational surname referring to someone from any of the various places named Sisneros in Spain.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,858 Americans carry the last name Sisneros. That puts it at #7,559 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.42 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 70,555 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sisneros 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
4.9K
1 in 70,555
Census rank
#7,559
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,236 bearers of the surname Sisneros in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.42 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7559th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sisneros, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 82.7%. The next largest groups are White (13.6%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sisneros
The surname Sisneros originated in Spain, with its earliest known roots tracing back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the name of a rural area or small village called "Sisnero" or "Sisneros," possibly located in the northern region of the country.
Historically, the name Sisneros first appeared in records and manuscripts during the 13th and 14th centuries, such as the Libro de las Behetrias de Castilla, which documented landholdings and noble families in the Kingdom of Castile. These early mentions suggest that the Sisneros family may have held some level of prominence or influence within their local communities.
One of the earliest recorded individuals bearing the Sisneros surname was Pedro Sisneros, a Spanish nobleman and military commander who lived during the 14th century. He served under King Alfonso XI of Castile and fought in several battles against the Moors during the Christian Reconquista of the Iberian Peninsula.
In the 16th century, a notable figure named Hernando Sisneros (c. 1490-1560) gained recognition as a Spanish explorer and conquistador who participated in the conquest of present-day Mexico alongside Hernán Cortés. He is recorded as having been granted land and indigenous labor in the region of Tlaxcala for his contributions.
Another individual of historical significance was Diego Sisneros (c. 1520-1595), a Spanish priest and theologian who served as a leading figure in the Catholic Church during the Counter-Reformation. He was appointed as the Bishop of Guadix and played a prominent role in the Council of Trent, a crucial ecumenical council that shaped Catholic doctrine and practices.
In the 17th century, Juan Sisneros (1600-1672) gained recognition as a renowned Spanish architect and engineer. He was responsible for designing and constructing several notable buildings and infrastructure projects, including the Puente Nuevo bridge in Ronda, which is still considered an architectural marvel today.
The surname Sisneros continued to be present throughout Spanish history, with various individuals bearing the name making contributions in fields such as literature, arts, and politics. However, due to the passage of time and the limitations of historical records, it is challenging to provide a comprehensive account of every notable figure with this surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sisneros
Among Census respondents with the surname Sisneros, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 82.7%. The next largest groups are White (13.6%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Sisneros 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 Sisneros surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino82.7% · 3,502
- White13.6% · 574
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.0% · 83
- Two or more races1.1% · 45
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 21
- Black or African American0.3% · 11
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sisneros
Sisneros 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
#7,174
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,661
+484 bearers (+11.6%)
Per 100,000 1.58
Rank movement Up 173 places
2020
#7,559
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,236
-425 bearers (-9.1%)
Per 100,000 1.42
Rank movement Down 385 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,347 | 4,177 | 1.55 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,174 | 4,661 | 1.58 | +484 bearers (+11.6%) | Up 173 places |
| 2020 | #7,559 | 4,236 | 1.42 | -425 bearers (-9.1%) | Down 385 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 Sisneros 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 | #7,174 | #7,559 | -5.4% |
| Count | 4,661 | 4,236 | -9.1% |
| Per 100K | 1.58 | 1.42 | -10.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sisneros bearers went from 4,661 to 4,236 (-9.1% change). The surname moved down 385 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,174 to #7,559.
FAQ
Sisneros surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sisneros?
Name Census estimates that about 4,858 living Americans carry the surname Sisneros. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 70,555 residents.
How common is Sisneros?
Sisneros ranks #7,559 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.42 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 4,236 people with the surname Sisneros. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,858), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.42 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.42 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 Sisneros.
Has Sisneros become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sisneros went from 4,661 recorded bearers to 4,236. That is a decrease of 425 (-9.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,174 to #7,559.
What does the Census say about the background of Sisneros?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sisneros, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 82.7%. The next largest groups are White (13.6%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (2.0%). 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 Sisneros in the 2020 Census, accounting for 82.7% (3,502 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sisneros appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (82.7%), White (13.6%), American Indian/Alaska Native (2.0%). 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 Sisneros (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 Sisneros mean?
A Spanish habitational surname referring to someone from any of the various places named Sisneros 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 Sisneros (1.42 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 Sisneros?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.