2000
#3,256
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,071
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.73
Uncommon Last name
Tejeda
A habitational surname indicating someone from any of the various places named Tejeda in Spain.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 17,364 Americans carry the last name Tejeda. That puts it at #2,344 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 5.07 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 19,739 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tejeda 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
17K
1 in 19,739
Census rank
#2,344
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
5.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
15K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 15,142 bearers of the surname Tejeda in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 5.07 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2344th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tejeda, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 95.3%. The next largest groups are White (3.7%) and Black (0.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tejeda
The surname Tejeda originates from Spain, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Spanish word "tejada," which means a tiled roof or a small house with a tiled roof. This suggests that the name may have been initially associated with individuals who lived in such dwellings or were involved in the construction or repair of tiled roofs.
The name can be traced back to various regions in Spain, particularly in areas such as Andalusia, Extremadura, and Castile-La Mancha. It is possible that the name was adopted by families who settled in these regions and played a role in the local building or construction trades.
Historical records indicate that the surname Tejeda appeared in Spanish documents and manuscripts as early as the 13th century. One notable mention is in the Libro de la Montería, a hunting treatise commissioned by King Alfonso XI of Castile in the 14th century, where the name is listed among the participants in royal hunting parties.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Tejeda was Alonso de Tejeda, a Spanish conquistador who participated in the conquest of Mexico alongside Hernán Cortés in the early 16th century. Another prominent figure was Juan de Tejeda, a 16th-century Spanish soldier and explorer who accompanied Francisco Vásquez de Coronado on his expedition to present-day New Mexico and the southwestern United States.
Other notable individuals with the Tejeda surname include Miguel de Tejeda, a 17th-century Spanish painter known for his religious works, and Gaspar de Tejeda, a 16th-century Spanish architect who contributed to the design and construction of several churches and monasteries in Spain.
In the realm of literature, one of the most renowned figures with the Tejeda surname was José Tejeda, a 19th-century Spanish poet and playwright who was part of the Romantic movement in Spain. His works, including plays and lyrical compositions, received critical acclaim and contributed to the cultural landscape of his time.
While the surname Tejeda has its roots in Spain, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly to Latin American countries like Mexico, where it has been carried by individuals of Spanish descent. However, the historical origins and earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the Iberian Peninsula during the medieval and Renaissance periods.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tejeda
Among Census respondents with the surname Tejeda, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 95.3%. The next largest groups are White (3.7%) and Black (0.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Tejeda 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 Tejeda surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino95.3% · 14,434
- White3.7% · 565
- Black or African American0.5% · 79
- Two or more races0.2% · 27
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.1% · 22
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 15
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tejeda
Tejeda 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
#2,541
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 14,240
+4,169 bearers (+41.4%)
Per 100,000 4.83
Rank movement Up 715 places
2020
#2,344
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 15,142
+902 bearers (+6.3%)
Per 100,000 5.07
Rank movement Up 197 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,256 | 10,071 | 3.73 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,541 | 14,240 | 4.83 | +4,169 bearers (+41.4%) | Up 715 places |
| 2020 | #2,344 | 15,142 | 5.07 | +902 bearers (+6.3%) | Up 197 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 Tejeda 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 | #2,541 | #2,344 | 7.8% |
| Count | 14,240 | 15,142 | 6.3% |
| Per 100K | 4.83 | 5.07 | 4.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tejeda bearers went from 14,240 to 15,142 (+6.3% change). The surname moved up 197 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,541 to #2,344.
FAQ
Tejeda surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tejeda?
Name Census estimates that about 17,364 living Americans carry the surname Tejeda. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 19,739 residents.
How common is Tejeda?
Tejeda ranks #2,344 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 5.07 per 100,000 residents, which is about 5 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 15,142 people with the surname Tejeda. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (17,364), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 5.07 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 5.07 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 5 of them to have the surname Tejeda.
Has Tejeda become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tejeda went from 14,240 recorded bearers to 15,142. That is an increase of 902 (+6.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #2,541 to #2,344.
What does the Census say about the background of Tejeda?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tejeda, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 95.3%. The next largest groups are White (3.7%) and Black (0.5%). 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 Tejeda in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.3% (14,434 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tejeda appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (95.3%), White (3.7%), Black (0.5%). 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 Tejeda (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 Tejeda mean?
A habitational surname indicating someone from any of the various places named Tejeda 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 Tejeda (5.07 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 Tejeda?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the surname Tejeda on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.