2010
#82,908
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 227
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.08
Very Rare Last name
Xelhua
A surname of Nahuatl origin meaning "monster" or "abomination".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 242 Americans carry the last name Xelhua. That puts it at #93,282 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.07 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,416,340 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Xelhua 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
242
1 in 1,416,340
Census rank
#93,282
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
211
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 211 bearers of the surname Xelhua in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.07 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 93282nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Xelhua, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 95.7%. The next largest groups are White (1.4%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Xelhua
The surname XELHUA finds its origins in the region that is now known as Mexico. Its roots can be traced back to pre-Hispanic times, specifically in the Nahuatl-speaking communities. Nahuatl, the language of the Aztecs and other civilizations within central Mexico, is where this surname derives its meaning and history. The name XELHUA is closely associated with an ancient giant from Aztec mythology known as Xelhua, one of the seven giants who survived a great flood by seeking refuge in the mountains.
Historical references to the surname XELHUA are sparse but can be found in the chronicles written by Spanish conquistadors and clerics during the early colonial period in Mexico. These manuscripts often referenced native legends and deities, including Xelhua. Specifically, Fray Bernardino de Sahagún’s works in the 16th century mention Xelhua in his accounts of Aztec mythology. Sahagún's "Florentine Codex" mentions the construction of the Great Pyramid of Cholula, attributing it to the giant Xelhua.
The earliest recorded examples of the surname XELHUA appear in colonial-era documents from the 16th and 17th centuries. One notable figure was Pedro Xelhua, who was mentioned in 1545 in the annals of Hernán Cortés’s administration. Pedro Xelhua is believed to have been an indigenous nobleman who played a role in the negotiation of land and titles during the Spanish colonization process.
Another prominent individual bearing the name was María Xelhua, recorded in the early 1600s as a Nahua woman who owned a considerable amount of land in the Puebla region. She was noted for her resistance against the encroachment of Spanish settlers on her inherited properties, marking a significant figure in the history of indigenous land rights.
In the 18th century, Gabriel Xelhua emerged as a notable community leader in the Cholula region. He was deeply involved in the local governance and religious practices, often serving as the intermediary between Spanish colonial authorities and indigenous populations. His role was crucial in maintaining cultural practices and negotiating colonial demands.
The name XELHUA also appears in legal documents and church records of the 19th century. One such figure was José Ignacio Xelhua, documented in 1823 as a landowner and local politician in the state of Tlaxcala. His contributions to the community included the establishment of schools and efforts to preserve traditional Nahua rituals.
Throughout history, the surname XELHUA has been borne by notable individuals who played significant roles in their communities, often serving as bridge figures between indigenous traditions and colonial influences. The legacy of the Xelhua family name continues to be a testament to the rich cultural heritage of the Nahua people and their enduring presence in Mexico.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Xelhua
Among Census respondents with the surname Xelhua, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 95.7%. The next largest groups are White (1.4%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Xelhua 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 Xelhua surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino95.7% · 202
- White1.4% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.4% · 3
- Two or more races0.9% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Xelhua
Xelhua 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
#93,282
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 211
-16 bearers (-7.0%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Down 10,374 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #82,908 | 227 | 0.08 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #93,282 | 211 | 0.07 | -16 bearers (-7.0%) | Down 10,374 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 Xelhua 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 | #82,908 | #93,282 | -12.5% |
| Count | 227 | 211 | -7.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.08 | 0.07 | -11.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Xelhua bearers went from 227 to 211 (-7.0% change). The surname moved down 10,374 positions in the national ranking, going from #82,908 to #93,282.
FAQ
Xelhua surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Xelhua?
Name Census estimates that about 242 living Americans carry the surname Xelhua. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,416,340 residents.
How common is Xelhua?
Xelhua ranks #93,282 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.07 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 211 people with the surname Xelhua. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (242), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.07 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.07 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 Xelhua.
Has Xelhua become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Xelhua went from 227 recorded bearers to 211. That is a decrease of 16 (-7.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #82,908 to #93,282.
What does the Census say about the background of Xelhua?
Among Census respondents with the surname Xelhua, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 95.7%. The next largest groups are White (1.4%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.4%). 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 Xelhua in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.7% (202 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Xelhua appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (95.7%), White (1.4%), American Indian/Alaska Native (1.4%). 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 Xelhua (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 Xelhua mean?
A surname of Nahuatl origin meaning "monster" or "abomination". 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 Xelhua (0.07 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 many people have the last name Xelhua?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people are called Xelhua at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.