Explore the Family Name Balbuena

The meaning of Balbuena

Spanish: habitational name from either of two places called Valbuena (‘pleasant valley’) in the provinces of Asturias and Léon. Compare Balboa. Some characteristic forenames: Spanish Juan, Luis, Miguel, Amparo, Angel, Arturo, Jorge, Jose, Manuel, Alberto, Carolina, Felipe.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Balbuena in the United States?

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Balbuena has significantly increased in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it was ranked as the 10,722nd most common surname, but by 2010, it had jumped to the 7,223rd position, marking a substantial change of 32.63%. The count of individuals with this surname also saw a significant increase from 2,733 in 2000 to 4,621 in 2010, a growth of 69.08%. This equates to a proportion per 100k people change of 55.45%, from 1.01 to 1.57.

20002010Change
Rank#10,722#7,22332.63%
Count2,7334,62169.08%
Proportion per 100k1.011.5755.45%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Balbuena

Looking at ethnicity, the Decennial U.S. Census data reveals that the majority of individuals with the Balbuena surname identify as Hispanic. In 2000, 87.71% identified as such, and this figure rose to 91.13% by 2010. While there were small percentages of Balbuenas identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander, White, Black, and American Indian and Alaskan Native, these numbers either decreased or showed only modest increases over the decade. For instance, those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander dropped from 6.55% to 4.54%, while the percentage of those who are White fell from 4.13% to 2.96%. Those identifying as Black or American Indian and Alaskan Native experienced slight increases, the former rising from 0.59% to 0.63% and the latter going from 0.18% to 0.19%.

20002010Change
Hispanic87.71%91.13%3.9%
Asian/Pacific Islander6.55%4.54%-30.69%
White4.13%2.96%-28.33%
Black0.59%0.63%6.78%
Two or More Races0.84%0.54%-35.71%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0.18%0.19%5.56%