2010
#131,379
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 129
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Xochihua
A surname of Nahuatl origin meaning "flower harvest" or "flower blossom."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 138 Americans carry the last name Xochihua. That puts it at #142,049 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,483,727 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Xochihua 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
138
1 in 2,483,727
Census rank
#142,049
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
120
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 120 bearers of the surname Xochihua in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142049th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Xochihua, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 87.5%. The next largest groups are White (6.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Xochihua
The surname Xochihua has its origins in pre-Columbian Mesoamerica, particularly among the Nahua people, whose descendants are known as the Nahuatl-speaking communities. The name derives from Nahuatl, the language of the Aztecs and other neighboring tribes. The etymology roots itself in the word "xochitl," which means "flower," and the suffix "-ihua," which means "possessor." Therefore, Xochihua roughly translates to "one who possesses flowers" or "flower bearer."
Xochihua originates from the central regions of modern-day Mexico, where the Nahua communities played a significant role in history. Studies show that this surname was used by individuals within high societal and priestly classes during the height of the Aztec Empire, around the 15th and early 16th centuries. The appearance of similar spellings, such as Xochihuahuac and Zochtizihuatl, in ancient codices and manuscripts provide evidence of its prevalence.
Historical references to Xochihua can be found in the Codex Mendoza and the annals of Tlatelolco, where notable individuals acted as intermediaries between the deities and the people, often involved in rituals and cultural preservation. One figure of note is Cacama Xochihua, who was a priest documented in the Florentine Codex by Bernardino de Sahagún around the early 1500s.
Another prominent figure is Tepotzotzin Xochihua, born in 1480, known for his role in the defense of Tenochtitlan during its siege by Spanish Conquistadors led by Hernán Cortés in 1521. His efforts were chronicled in various indigenous manuscripts interpreted by later historians.
In the post-conquest period, the name continued through documented lineages. A notable individual is Coatlicue Xochihua, born in 1530, who played a role in maintaining the cultural and religious traditions of the Nahua peoples amid Spanish colonization. She is referenced in colonial records for her contributions to preserving Nahuatl rituals and songs.
By the 17th century, records indicate that the surname Xochihua had spread to various regions within central Mexico, documented in church registries and land grants. An example is Don Pedro Xochihua, born in 1645, a landowner with significant influence in the Puebla region, recognized for his contributions to local community development.
Into the late 19th century, the name appears less frequently but with notable mentions such as Juana Maria Xochihua, born in 1870, who became known for her work in botanical studies within the region, exemplifying the historical connection to the name's meaning.
By examining these historical references and records, it is evident that the surname Xochihua holds a deep connection to the cultural, religious, and social fabric of pre-Columbian and colonial Mexico. The name's legacy continues through these historical figures and their contributions to the rich heritage of the Nahua people.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Xochihua
Among Census respondents with the surname Xochihua, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 87.5%. The next largest groups are White (6.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Xochihua 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 Xochihua surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino87.5% · 105
- White6.7% · 8
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.5% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.5% · 3
- Black or African American0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Xochihua
Xochihua 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
#142,049
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
-9 bearers (-7.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 10,670 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #131,379 | 129 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #142,049 | 120 | 0.04 | -9 bearers (-7.0%) | Down 10,670 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 Xochihua 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 | #131,379 | #142,049 | -8.1% |
| Count | 129 | 120 | -7.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Xochihua bearers went from 129 to 120 (-7.0% change). The surname moved down 10,670 positions in the national ranking, going from #131,379 to #142,049.
FAQ
Xochihua surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Xochihua?
Name Census estimates that about 138 living Americans carry the surname Xochihua. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,483,727 residents.
How common is Xochihua?
Xochihua ranks #142,049 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 120 people with the surname Xochihua. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (138), 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 Xochihua.
Has Xochihua become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Xochihua went from 129 recorded bearers to 120. That is a decrease of 9 (-7.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #131,379 to #142,049.
What does the Census say about the background of Xochihua?
Among Census respondents with the surname Xochihua, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 87.5%. The next largest groups are White (6.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.5%). 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 Xochihua in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.5% (105 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Xochihua appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (87.5%), White (6.7%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.5%). 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 Xochihua (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 Xochihua mean?
A surname of Nahuatl origin meaning "flower harvest" or "flower blossom." 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 Xochihua (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 Xochihua?
If you just want to know how many people have the surname Xochihua, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.