2000
#3,372
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,700
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.60
Uncommon Last name
Tejada
A Spanish habitational surname derived from several place names meaning "tiled roof" or "roof made of bricks."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 18,856 Americans carry the last name Tejada. That puts it at #2,152 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 5.50 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 18,177 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tejada 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
19K
1 in 18,177
Census rank
#2,152
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
5.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
16K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 16,443 bearers of the surname Tejada in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 5.50 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2152nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tejada, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 90.7%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (4.4%) and White (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tejada
The surname Tejada is of Spanish origin, originating in the region of Andalusia in southern Spain during the medieval period. The name is derived from the Spanish word "teja," which means "tile," suggesting that the earliest bearers of this name may have been involved in the production or trade of tiles.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Tejada can be found in the census records of the city of Seville, dated back to the 15th century. These records mention several families bearing the name Tejada residing in the city, indicating that the name was well-established in the region by that time.
The surname Tejada is also associated with several place names in Spain, such as Tejada de Tiétar in the province of Cáceres and Tejada la Nueva in the province of Huelva. These place names likely originated from the surname itself, reflecting the presence of families bearing the name in those areas.
Throughout history, there have been notable individuals who have carried the surname Tejada. One such person was Gaspar de Tejada (1548-1621), a Spanish soldier and author who served in the Spanish army during the Dutch Revolt and wrote several works on military strategy and tactics.
Another prominent figure was Juan de Tejada (1565-1628), a Spanish painter and architect who was active in Seville during the Golden Age of Spanish art. His works can be found in several churches and palaces throughout Andalusia.
In the 19th century, Félix María Tejada y Guzmán (1823-1898) was a Cuban politician and writer who played a significant role in the independence movement of Cuba from Spanish rule. He served as the president of the Cuban Revolutionary Party and wrote numerous articles and essays advocating for Cuban sovereignty.
Moving into the 20th century, Manuel Tejada Roldán (1920-2001) was a prominent Spanish sculptor and artist known for his abstract and figurative works. His sculptures can be found in various public spaces and museums throughout Spain.
Finally, Ramón Tejada (1926-2008) was a Mexican actor and director who had a prolific career in both film and television. He appeared in over 100 movies and directed several successful television series, becoming a notable figure in the Mexican entertainment industry.
These are just a few examples of individuals throughout history who have carried the surname Tejada, highlighting the widespread presence and significance of this name across various fields and cultures.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tejada
Among Census respondents with the surname Tejada, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 90.7%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (4.4%) and White (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Tejada 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 Tejada surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino90.7% · 14,909
- Asian and Pacific Islander4.4% · 729
- White3.4% · 566
- Two or more races0.8% · 131
- Black or African American0.6% · 96
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 12
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tejada
Tejada 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
#2,432
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 14,903
+5,203 bearers (+53.6%)
Per 100,000 5.05
Rank movement Up 940 places
2020
#2,152
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 16,443
+1,540 bearers (+10.3%)
Per 100,000 5.50
Rank movement Up 280 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,372 | 9,700 | 3.60 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,432 | 14,903 | 5.05 | +5,203 bearers (+53.6%) | Up 940 places |
| 2020 | #2,152 | 16,443 | 5.50 | +1,540 bearers (+10.3%) | Up 280 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 Tejada 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 | #2,432 | #2,152 | 11.5% |
| Count | 14,903 | 16,443 | 10.3% |
| Per 100K | 5.05 | 5.50 | 8.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tejada bearers went from 14,903 to 16,443 (+10.3% change). The surname moved up 280 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,432 to #2,152.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Tejada
FAQ
Tejada surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tejada?
Name Census estimates that about 18,856 living Americans carry the surname Tejada. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 18,177 residents.
How common is Tejada?
Tejada ranks #2,152 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 5.50 per 100,000 residents, which is about 6 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 16,443 people with the surname Tejada. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (18,856), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 5.5 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 5.50 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 6 of them to have the surname Tejada.
Has Tejada become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tejada went from 14,903 recorded bearers to 16,443. That is an increase of 1,540 (+10.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #2,432 to #2,152.
What does the Census say about the background of Tejada?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tejada, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 90.7%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (4.4%) and White (3.4%). 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 Tejada in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.7% (14,909 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tejada appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (90.7%), Asian/Pacific Islander (4.4%), White (3.4%). 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 Tejada (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 Tejada mean?
A Spanish habitational surname derived from several place names meaning "tiled roof" or "roof made of bricks." 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 Tejada (5.50 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 common is the surname Tejada?
If you just want to know how many people are called Tejada, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.