2010
#152,628
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Tendilla
A Spanish surname likely referring to someone from the town of Tendilla in Spain.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 136 Americans carry the last name Tendilla. That puts it at #142,788 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,520,252 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tendilla 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
136
1 in 2,520,252
Census rank
#142,788
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
119
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 119 bearers of the surname Tendilla in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142788th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tendilla, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 75.6%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (17.6%) and White (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tendilla
The surname TENDILLA originated in Spain during the medieval period, specifically in the region of Andalusia. It is believed to be derived from the town of Tendilla, located in the province of Guadalajara. The name likely has its roots in the Arabic word "tendil," meaning "tower" or "watchtower," reflecting the influence of the Moorish occupation in the area.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name TENDILLA can be found in the Repartimiento de Sevilla, a document dating back to the 13th century that recorded the distribution of lands and properties among the Christian conquerors after the reconquest of Seville from the Moors. This historical record suggests that individuals bearing the surname TENDILLA played a role in the reconquest of the region.
During the 15th century, the TENDILLA name gained prominence with the rise of Íñigo López de Mendoza y Quiñones, 2nd Count of Tendilla (1442-1515). He was a renowned military commander and diplomat who served as the first Spanish governor of the Alhambra in Granada after the surrender of the last Nasrid ruler in 1492. His successful administration and defense of the region earned him great respect and renown.
Another notable figure with the TENDILLA surname was Hernando de Aragón y Tendilla (1500-1575), a Spanish nobleman and military leader who served as the viceroy of Valencia and the captain general of the Kingdom of Aragon. He played a crucial role in suppressing the Germanías revolt, a popular uprising against the nobility and the monarchy in Valencia.
In the 16th century, Pedro de Mendoza y Tendilla (1487-1537) was a Spanish conquistador and the first governor of the Río de la Plata region in present-day Argentina. He led the founding of the city of Buenos Aires in 1536, although the settlement was later abandoned due to conflicts with indigenous tribes and internal strife.
The TENDILLA surname also appeared in literary works, such as the writings of the renowned Spanish playwright and poet Lope de Vega (1562-1635). In his play "El Nuevo Mundo Descubierto por Cristóbal Colón" (The New World Discovered by Christopher Columbus), he mentions a character named "Don Íñigo de Tendilla," further solidifying the historical presence of this surname in Spain.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tendilla
Among Census respondents with the surname Tendilla, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 75.6%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (17.6%) and White (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Tendilla 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 Tendilla surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino75.6% · 90
- Asian and Pacific Islander17.6% · 21
- White3.4% · 4
- Two or more races1.7% · 2
- Black or African American0.8% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tendilla
Tendilla appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#142,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
+12 bearers (+11.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 9,840 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #152,628 | 107 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #142,788 | 119 | 0.04 | +12 bearers (+11.2%) | Up 9,840 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 Tendilla 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 | #152,628 | #142,788 | 6.4% |
| Count | 107 | 119 | 11.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -0.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tendilla bearers went from 107 to 119 (+11.2% change). The surname moved up 9,840 positions in the national ranking, going from #152,628 to #142,788.
FAQ
Tendilla surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tendilla?
Name Census estimates that about 136 living Americans carry the surname Tendilla. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,520,252 residents.
How common is Tendilla?
Tendilla ranks #142,788 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 119 people with the surname Tendilla. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (136), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Tendilla.
Has Tendilla become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tendilla went from 107 recorded bearers to 119. That is an increase of 12 (+11.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #152,628 to #142,788.
What does the Census say about the background of Tendilla?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tendilla, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 75.6%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (17.6%) 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 Tendilla in the 2020 Census, accounting for 75.6% (90 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tendilla appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (75.6%), Asian/Pacific Islander (17.6%), 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 Tendilla (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 Tendilla mean?
A Spanish surname likely referring to someone from the town of Tendilla 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 Tendilla (0.04 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 last name Tendilla?
Find out how many people are called Tendilla on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.