Explore the Family Name Cerqueira

The meaning of Cerqueira

Portuguese and Galician: habitational name from any of various places so called in Galicia (Spain) and Portugal, in most cases from a Latin derivative of quercus ‘oak’. Some characteristic forenames: Spanish Jose, Manuel, Carlos, Ana, Fernanda, Luis, Abilio, Alvaro, Candido, Eduardo, Eloina, Ernesto. Portuguese Joao.

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

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

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Cerqueira has seen an increase in popularity within the United States. In 2000, it ranked as the 38,890th most common last name, but by 2010, it moved up to the 34,073rd position, marking a change of 12.39%. The count of individuals bearing this surname also increased from 534 in 2000 to 667 in 2010 - a rise of almost 25%. The proportion per 100k people also rose slightly from 0.2 to 0.23 during this decade, indicating a growth rate of 15%.

20002010Change
Rank#38,890#34,07312.39%
Count53466724.91%
Proportion per 100k0.20.2315%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Cerqueira

In terms of ethnicity according to the Decennial U.S. Census, the majority of those with the Cerqueira surname identify as White, accounting for 89.33% in 2000 and increasing slightly to 90.85% in 2010. There is also a small percentage of Hispanic identity, which grew from 6.74% in 2000 to 7.05% in 2010. Interestingly, while the percentage of those identifying as two or more races was 3.75% in 2000, this decreased to zero in 2010. Furthermore, there were no recorded individuals associated with Asian/Pacific Islander or American Indian and Alaskan Native ethnicities in either year. However, the 2010 census showed a small emergence of individuals identifying as Black, at 0.9%, where none had been recorded in 2000.

20002010Change
White89.33%90.85%1.7%
Hispanic6.74%7.05%4.6%
Black0%0.9%0%
Asian/Pacific Islander0%0%0%
Two or More Races3.75%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%