2000
#504
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 59,609
First available Census row
Per 100,000 22.10
Uncommon Last name
Trujillo
A Spanish locational surname referring to someone from any of the numerous places called Trujillo in Spain.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 80,733 Americans carry the last name Trujillo. That puts it at #461 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 23.55 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 4,246 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Trujillo 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Trujillo with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
81K
1 in 4,246
Census rank
#461
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
23.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
70K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 70,403 bearers of the surname Trujillo in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 23.55 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 461st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Trujillo, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 88.5%. The next largest groups are White (8.6%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Trujillo
The surname Trujillo originates from Spain, specifically from the region of Extremadura. It can be traced back to the late 15th century, around the time of the Spanish Reconquista. The name is derived from the town of Trujillo, located in the province of Cáceres, Extremadura.
The town of Trujillo itself takes its name from the Latin word "turgalium," which means "fertile land" or "fertile valley." This reference to the fertile landscape surrounding the town likely contributed to the name's evolution. Additionally, some historical records suggest that the name may have roots in the Visigothic language, with a possible connection to the word "turgilos," meaning "tower" or "fortified place."
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the Trujillo surname can be found in the Archivo General de Indias (General Archive of the Indies) in Seville, Spain. This archive contains documents from the Spanish colonial era, including records of conquistadors and settlers who ventured to the Americas. Among these documents, there are references to individuals bearing the surname Trujillo who participated in the exploration and conquest of the New World.
A notable figure with the Trujillo surname is Diego de Trujillo, a Spanish conquistador born in the late 15th century. He accompanied Hernán Cortés on his expedition to Mexico and played a role in the conquest of the Aztec Empire. Another early Trujillo was Francisco de Trujillo, a Spanish explorer and soldier who participated in the conquest of Peru in the 16th century.
In the realm of literature, there is Juan Ruiz de Trujillo, a 16th-century Spanish author and poet known for his work "Libro de las Siete Partidas" (Book of the Seven Parts). This influential legal text was commissioned by King Alfonso X of Castile and played a significant role in shaping Spanish law.
Moving forward in history, Francisco de Trujillo y Pizarro (1674-1737) was a Spanish military officer and governor of Panama in the early 18th century. He was a descendant of the famous conquistador Francisco Pizarro, who led the conquest of the Inca Empire in Peru.
Another notable figure is María Trujillo de Velasco (1772-1846), a Spanish noblewoman and philanthropist known for her charitable works and support of educational institutions in her hometown of Trujillo, Spain.
Throughout its history, the surname Trujillo has been associated with various places and regions, often reflecting the migration patterns of those who bore the name. For example, the town of Trujillo Alto in Puerto Rico was founded by Spanish settlers with the Trujillo surname in the late 16th century.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Trujillo
Among Census respondents with the surname Trujillo, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 88.5%. The next largest groups are White (8.6%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Trujillo 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 Trujillo surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino88.5% · 62,288
- White8.6% · 6,082
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.6% · 1,118
- Two or more races0.6% · 431
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 261
- Black or African American0.3% · 223
Timeline
Historical Census data for Trujillo
Trujillo 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
#448
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 73,664
+14,055 bearers (+23.6%)
Per 100,000 24.97
Rank movement Up 56 places
2020
#461
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 70,403
-3,261 bearers (-4.4%)
Per 100,000 23.55
Rank movement Down 13 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #504 | 59,609 | 22.10 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #448 | 73,664 | 24.97 | +14,055 bearers (+23.6%) | Up 56 places |
| 2020 | #461 | 70,403 | 23.55 | -3,261 bearers (-4.4%) | Down 13 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 Trujillo 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 | #448 | #461 | -2.9% |
| Count | 73,664 | 70,403 | -4.4% |
| Per 100K | 24.97 | 23.55 | -5.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Trujillo bearers went from 73,664 to 70,403 (-4.4% change). The surname moved down 13 positions in the national ranking, going from #448 to #461.
FAQ
Trujillo surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Trujillo?
Name Census estimates that about 80,733 living Americans carry the surname Trujillo. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 4,246 residents.
How common is Trujillo?
Trujillo ranks #461 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 23.55 per 100,000 residents, which is about 24 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 70,403 people with the surname Trujillo. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (80,733), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 23.55 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 23.55 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 24 of them to have the surname Trujillo.
Has Trujillo become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Trujillo went from 73,664 recorded bearers to 70,403. That is a decrease of 3,261 (-4.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #448 to #461.
What does the Census say about the background of Trujillo?
Among Census respondents with the surname Trujillo, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 88.5%. The next largest groups are White (8.6%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.6%). 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 Trujillo in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.5% (62,288 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Trujillo appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (88.5%), White (8.6%), American Indian/Alaska Native (1.6%). 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 Trujillo (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 Trujillo mean?
A Spanish locational surname referring to someone from any of the numerous places called Trujillo 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 Trujillo (23.55 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 are called Trujillo?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Trujillo on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.