Latino surnames on the rise in the U.S.

The United States has seen a rise in Latino surnames, signaling the country’s growing diversity. 

According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s top 10 list of surnames, the most common last names in the U.S. are Smith, Johnson, Williams, Brown, and Jones. 

However, the most recent list includes three Latino surnames, with Garcia ranking in sixth place, Rodriguez in ninth, and Martinez in 10th. 

“We’re becoming a country much more racially diverse, especially among the younger population,” said William Frey, a demographer at the Brookings Institution and author of the book Diversity Explosion: How New Racial Demographics are Remaking America.

After analyzing the data, experts believe that the number of Hispanic/Latino last names will continue to increase. 

Between the 2000 and 2010 national census counts, Vazquez and Velazquez were among the most rapidly increasing surnames. Similarly, the number of individuals with the surname Bautista is also rapidly increasing, according to the Census Bureau. 

The increase in Hispanic/Latino last names comes as the number of Hispanics living in the U.S. continues to rise. Currently, Hispanics make up 18.5% of the population, compared to 13% in 2000. 

According to Frey, population growth from immigration in the U.S. tends to come from Hispanics and those of Asian descent, more than those of European ancestry, reflecting on the nation’s surnames. 

In addition to a growing number of Hispanic surnames in the country, many Latinos are also re-adopting the accent marks in their last names as a show of pride in their heritage, reported Axios.

Throughout the decades, pressure to assimilate and technological shortcomings forced many. Latinos to ditch the accent marks that would normally be in their surnames in Spanish. As a result, the pronunciation of many last names changed dramatically. 

However, more and more Latinos are re-adopting their accents as a sign of cultural pride.

"It feels like I am reclaiming something by using it now," said Valerie Muñoz, who added the ñ back to her name. 

"My grandfather changed his last name late in life to something less Latin-sounding because in the 70s he felt discriminated against," said Chris Echeverría. "Adding the accent represents to me all the progress us Hispanic people have made in America and it makes me proud."