2000
#143
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 159,989
First available Census row
Per 100,000 59.31
Common Last name
Vasquez
A habitational surname of Spanish origin referring to someone from any of various places named Vázquez or Velázquez.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 231,629 Americans carry the last name Vasquez. That puts it at #117 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 67.58 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,480 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Vasquez 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 Vasquez with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
232K
1 in 1,480
Census rank
#117
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
67.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
202K
common in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 201,992 bearers of the surname Vasquez in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 67.58 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 117th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Vasquez, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 92.3%. The next largest groups are White (5.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Vasquez
The surname Vasquez has its origins in Spain, dating back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Basque language and is a variant of the name "Velasco," which means "crow" or "raven." The name was initially concentrated in the Basque regions of northern Spain and southwestern France.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Vasquez can be found in the "Becerro de las Behetrias," a historical document from the 14th century that listed noble families and their properties. The name appears in this record, suggesting its presence among the nobility during that time.
In the 15th century, the Vasquez family played a significant role in the Spanish conquest of the Americas. Juan Vasquez de Coronado, born in 1510, was a Spanish explorer who led expeditions into the present-day southwestern United States in search of the legendary Seven Cities of Gold.
Another notable figure was Diego Vasquez de Mercado, a Spanish soldier and explorer who participated in the conquest of Peru alongside Francisco Pizarro in the 16th century. He was born in 1501 and played a crucial role in the subjugation of the Inca Empire.
During the 17th century, the Vasquez name was associated with several prominent figures in the Spanish colonies. One such individual was Pedro Vasquez de Velasco, a Spanish colonial administrator who served as the Governor of Panama in the 1630s.
In the realm of literature, Juan Vasquez del Marmol, born in 1530, was a Spanish historian and author best known for his work "Descripción General de África" (General Description of Africa), which provided valuable insights into the geography and culture of North Africa during the 16th century.
As the Spanish Empire expanded, the Vasquez name spread across various regions, including Latin America. In Mexico, for instance, the Vasquez family played a significant role in the colonial era, with individuals holding positions in the government and military.
Throughout history, the Vasquez surname has been associated with individuals from diverse backgrounds, including explorers, soldiers, administrators, and literary figures. While its origins can be traced back to the Basque regions of Spain, the name has since become widely dispersed and adopted by various cultures and ethnicities.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Vasquez
Among Census respondents with the surname Vasquez, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 92.3%. The next largest groups are White (5.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Vasquez 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 Vasquez surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino92.3% · 186,512
- White5.5% · 11,026
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1,805
- Black or African American0.6% · 1,260
- Two or more races0.3% · 701
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 688
Timeline
Historical Census data for Vasquez
Vasquez 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
#113
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 212,781
+52,792 bearers (+33.0%)
Per 100,000 72.13
Rank movement Up 30 places
2020
#117
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 201,992
-10,789 bearers (-5.1%)
Per 100,000 67.58
Rank movement Down 4 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #143 | 159,989 | 59.31 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #113 | 212,781 | 72.13 | +52,792 bearers (+33.0%) | Up 30 places |
| 2020 | #117 | 201,992 | 67.58 | -10,789 bearers (-5.1%) | Down 4 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 Vasquez 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 | #113 | #117 | -3.5% |
| Count | 212,781 | 201,992 | -5.1% |
| Per 100K | 72.13 | 67.58 | -6.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Vasquez bearers went from 212,781 to 201,992 (-5.1% change). The surname moved down 4 positions in the national ranking, going from #113 to #117.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Vasquez
FAQ
Vasquez surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Vasquez?
Name Census estimates that about 231,629 living Americans carry the surname Vasquez. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,480 residents.
How common is Vasquez?
Vasquez ranks #117 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Common." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 67.58 per 100,000 residents, which is about 68 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 201,992 people with the surname Vasquez. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (231,629), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 67.58 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 67.58 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 68 of them to have the surname Vasquez.
Has Vasquez become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Vasquez went from 212,781 recorded bearers to 201,992. That is a decrease of 10,789 (-5.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #113 to #117.
What does the Census say about the background of Vasquez?
Among Census respondents with the surname Vasquez, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 92.3%. The next largest groups are White (5.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%). 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 Vasquez in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.3% (186,512 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Vasquez appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (92.3%), White (5.5%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%). 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 Vasquez (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 Vasquez mean?
A habitational surname of Spanish origin referring to someone from any of various places named Vázquez or Velázquez. 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 Vasquez (67.58 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 Vasquez?
Find out how many people are called Vasquez on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.