2000
#18,836
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,343
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.50
Rare Last name
Suero
A Spanish surname derived from the word "suero," meaning "whey" or "serum," likely referring to a cheese maker.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,039 Americans carry the last name Suero. That puts it at #11,377 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.89 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 112,785 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Suero 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
3.0K
1 in 112,785
Census rank
#11,377
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,650 bearers of the surname Suero in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.89 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11377th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Suero, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 90.6%. The next largest groups are White (5.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Suero
The surname Suero is of Spanish origin, with its roots traced back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Latin name "Severus," which means "severe" or "strict." This name was quite popular during the Roman era and was later adopted by the Visigoths who ruled parts of Spain.
In the early Middle Ages, the name Suero emerged as a variant of Severus, possibly due to the influence of the Mozarabic language, which was spoken by Christians living under Muslim rule in the Iberian Peninsula. The earliest recorded instances of the surname Suero can be found in medieval Spanish documents from the 11th and 12th centuries.
One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Suero de Quiñones, a renowned Spanish knight who lived in the 15th century (c. 1409-1456). He organized the famous Paso Honroso tournament in 1434, which attracted knights from across Europe to test their skills and chivalry.
Another notable figure was Suero de Ribera (c. 1520-1600), a Spanish nobleman and military commander who served as the Governor of the Duchy of Milan and played a crucial role in the Spanish conquest of Portugal in 1580.
During the Spanish colonization of the Americas, the surname Suero was carried to the New World by conquistadors and settlers. One such individual was Suero Vázquez de Avión (c. 1510-1586), a Spanish conquistador who participated in the conquest of present-day Mexico and later became the first Spanish governor of Florida.
In the literary realm, Suero de Quiñones, a 16th-century Spanish poet and dramatist, gained recognition for his works, which included plays and poetry focused on themes of love and courtly life.
The surname Suero can also be found in places like the Canary Islands, where it is associated with the island of Fuerteventura. The town of Tuineje on this island contains the place name "Valle de Suero," which likely derived from an early settler or landowner with the surname.
Throughout history, the surname Suero has maintained its Spanish roots and has been borne by individuals from various walks of life, including nobles, military leaders, writers, and colonial settlers.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Suero
Among Census respondents with the surname Suero, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 90.6%. The next largest groups are White (5.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Suero 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 Suero surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino90.6% · 2,402
- White5.2% · 138
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.2% · 59
- Black or African American1.5% · 41
- Two or more races0.2% · 6
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Suero
Suero 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
#13,959
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,161
+818 bearers (+60.9%)
Per 100,000 0.73
Rank movement Up 4,877 places
2020
#11,377
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,650
+489 bearers (+22.6%)
Per 100,000 0.89
Rank movement Up 2,582 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #18,836 | 1,343 | 0.50 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,959 | 2,161 | 0.73 | +818 bearers (+60.9%) | Up 4,877 places |
| 2020 | #11,377 | 2,650 | 0.89 | +489 bearers (+22.6%) | Up 2,582 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 Suero 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 | #13,959 | #11,377 | 18.5% |
| Count | 2,161 | 2,650 | 22.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.73 | 0.89 | 21.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Suero bearers went from 2,161 to 2,650 (+22.6% change). The surname moved up 2,582 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,959 to #11,377.
FAQ
Suero surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Suero?
Name Census estimates that about 3,039 living Americans carry the surname Suero. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 112,785 residents.
How common is Suero?
Suero ranks #11,377 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.89 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 2,650 people with the surname Suero. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,039), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.89 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.89 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 Suero.
Has Suero become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Suero went from 2,161 recorded bearers to 2,650. That is an increase of 489 (+22.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #13,959 to #11,377.
What does the Census say about the background of Suero?
Among Census respondents with the surname Suero, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 90.6%. The next largest groups are White (5.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.2%). 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 Suero in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.6% (2,402 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Suero appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (90.6%), White (5.2%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.2%). 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 Suero (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 Suero mean?
A Spanish surname derived from the word "suero," meaning "whey" or "serum," likely referring to a cheese maker. 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 Suero (0.89 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 share the surname Suero?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.