Aranza
A feminine name of Spanish origin meaning "orange tree".
Name Census estimates that about 3,224 living Americans carry the first name Aranza. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Aranza today is around 11 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Aranza births was 2014 (476 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Aranza. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Aranza is a relatively new arrival in the SSA data. The average bearer is just 11 years old, meaning it gained most of its traction in the last two decades.
People living today
3.2K
~ 1 in 106,313 Americans
Peak year
2014
476 babies that year
Average age
11
years old
2024 SSA rank
#1,456
Tracked since 1991
Popularity
Aranza: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Aranza from the 1990s through to the 2020s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 1,927 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Aranza remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Aranza by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Aranza during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Aranzas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 20 states and territories. Texas, California, Arizona recorded the most babies named Aranza, while Ohio, Alabama, Utah recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 123 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Aranza
The name Aranza is of Spanish origin, derived from the Spanish word "aranzada," which means a unit of land measurement equivalent to about 0.4 hectares. The name gained popularity during the Middle Ages in Spain, particularly in regions like Andalusia and Castile.
The name Aranza is believed to have its roots in the Basque language, where the word "arantza" means "bramble" or "thorny bush." This connection suggests that the name may have originally been associated with agricultural or rural settings. However, the exact origin and meaning of the name remain somewhat ambiguous.
Historically, the name Aranza has been recorded in various documents and records from the 13th century onwards. One of the earliest known references to the name can be found in the "Libro del Repartimiento de Sevilla," a document from the 13th century that recorded land distribution in the region of Seville after the Reconquista.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Aranza. One such figure was Aranza de Vivar, a 14th-century noblewoman from the Kingdom of Castile, known for her influential role in the court of King Alfonso XI.
Another prominent figure was Aranza de Toledo, a 16th-century Spanish nun and writer who authored several religious works and is celebrated for her contributions to the spiritual literature of the time.
In the 17th century, Aranza Quintanilla was a renowned Spanish painter known for her portraits and religious works, which can still be found in various churches and museums in Spain.
Moving to the 19th century, Aranza Saavedra was a Chilean poet and journalist who played a significant role in the literary circles of her time and advocated for women's rights and education.
In the 20th century, Aranza Ozores was a Spanish actress known for her roles in several popular films and television series in Spain and Latin America.
These are just a few examples of individuals throughout history who bore the name Aranza, showcasing its enduring presence and cultural significance across different eras and regions.
People
Aranza + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Aranza as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with A
Other first names starting with A with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Aranza: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Aranza?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 3,224 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Aranza going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 106,313 US residents.
Is Aranza a common name?
We classify Aranza as "Rare". It ranks above 95.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 3,251 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Aranza most popular?
The single biggest year for Aranza was 2014, when 476 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Aranza is about 11 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Aranza a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Aranza in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.