2010
#108,199
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 164
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.06
Very Rare Last name
Xochicale
A Mexican surname derived from the Nahuatl words "xochitl" (flower) and "calli" (house), referring to a place where flowers are grown or sold.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 177 Americans carry the last name Xochicale. That puts it at #119,015 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.05 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,936,465 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Xochicale 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
177
1 in 1,936,465
Census rank
#119,015
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
154
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 154 bearers of the surname Xochicale in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.05 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 119015th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Xochicale, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 97.4%. The next largest groups are Black (1.3%) and White (0.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Xochicale
The surname Xochicale originates from Mexico, specifically from regions that were historically inhabited by the Nahua people, including the Aztecs. The name is believed to date back to pre-Hispanic times, likely around the 14th to 16th centuries. Xochicale is derived from Nahuatl, the language of the Aztecs and one of the most spoken native languages in Mexico.
In Nahuatl, the word "xochi" means "flower" and "calli" means "house." Therefore, Xochicale can be translated to "house of flowers." This suggests a likely connection to places or families associated with beauty, nature, or floral motifs. Similar spellings or variations might include "Xochicali" or "Xochical".
The earliest recorded use of the surname appears in colonial Mexican records. One notable mention is in the 16th-century manuscripts of Fray Bernardino de Sahagún, a Franciscan friar and ethnographer who documented Nahua culture. In his monumental work, Florentine Codex, several native families with floral prefixes in their surnames, including Xochicale, are referenced.
One of the earliest individuals bearing the Xochicale surname was Moctezuma Xochicale, born in 1520 and known to be a local chieftain from the Valley of Mexico. He played a role in the local governance structure during the early years of Spanish colonization.
Another historical figure was Xayacatl Xochicale, born in 1578, a notable artisan in colonial Mexico who crafted intricate designs for both indigenous and Spanish patrons. His works were highly regarded and contributed to the blending of indigenous and European artistic traditions.
María Xochicale, born in 1630, was a healer known in her community for using traditional herbal medicines and floral remedies. Her practice was documented in colonial archives, providing an early example of indigenous knowledge persisting through generations.
Tezcatlipoca Xochicale, born in 1682, was a scribe who worked on translating and preserving Nahuatl texts for the Spanish authorities. His efforts were integral to maintaining Nahua cultural heritage during a time of significant change.
In the 18th century, another prominent figure was Ignacio Xochicale, born in 1735, a local leader in the Puebla region who advocated for the rights of indigenous people. His leadership was notable during a period of increased unrest and resistance against colonial policies.
Throughout history, the surname Xochicale has been associated with individuals who maintained and celebrated their Nahua heritage through various roles in society. The name serves as a living testament to the deep-rooted cultural and linguistic traditions of the indigenous people of Mexico.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Xochicale
Among Census respondents with the surname Xochicale, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 97.4%. The next largest groups are Black (1.3%) and White (0.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Xochicale 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 Xochicale surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino97.4% · 150
- Black or African American1.3% · 2
- White0.6% · 1
- Two or more races0.6% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Xochicale
Xochicale 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
#119,015
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 154
-10 bearers (-6.1%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 10,816 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #108,199 | 164 | 0.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #119,015 | 154 | 0.05 | -10 bearers (-6.1%) | Down 10,816 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 Xochicale 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 | #108,199 | #119,015 | -10.0% |
| Count | 164 | 154 | -6.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.06 | 0.05 | -14.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Xochicale bearers went from 164 to 154 (-6.1% change). The surname moved down 10,816 positions in the national ranking, going from #108,199 to #119,015.
FAQ
Xochicale surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Xochicale?
Name Census estimates that about 177 living Americans carry the surname Xochicale. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,936,465 residents.
How common is Xochicale?
Xochicale ranks #119,015 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.05 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 154 people with the surname Xochicale. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (177), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.05 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.05 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 Xochicale.
Has Xochicale become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Xochicale went from 164 recorded bearers to 154. That is a decrease of 10 (-6.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #108,199 to #119,015.
What does the Census say about the background of Xochicale?
Among Census respondents with the surname Xochicale, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 97.4%. The next largest groups are Black (1.3%) and White (0.6%). 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 Xochicale in the 2020 Census, accounting for 97.4% (150 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Xochicale appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (97.4%), Black (1.3%), White (0.6%). 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 Xochicale (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 Xochicale mean?
A Mexican surname derived from the Nahuatl words "xochitl" (flower) and "calli" (house), referring to a place where flowers are grown or sold. 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 Xochicale (0.05 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 surname Xochicale?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.