Aaron last name popularity, history, and meaning

Find out how popular the last name Aaron is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Aaron.

Meaning of Aaron

A biblical name derived from the Hebrew name Aharon, meaning "high mountain" or "exalted."

Aaron, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Aaron surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Aaron in America

Aaron is the 2241st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Aaron surname appeared 16,276 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 6 people would have the surname Aaron.

We can also compare 2010 data for Aaron to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 2241 2236 0.22%
Count 16,276 14,904 8.80%
Proportion per 100k 5.52 5.52 0.00%

The history of the last name Aaron

The surname Aaron has its origins in ancient Hebrew, derived from the Biblical name Aharon, meaning "high mountain" or "exalted". It is believed to have originated in the Middle East, particularly in the region of ancient Israel, where it first appeared as a personal name.

The name Aaron is mentioned numerous times in the Hebrew Bible, most notably as the name of Moses' older brother, who served as the first High Priest of the Israelites. This biblical connection has contributed to the widespread use of the name among Jewish communities throughout history.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Aaron can be found in medieval Jewish records from various European countries, such as England, France, and Germany. For instance, the name appears in the Pipe Rolls of England from the late 12th century, indicating its presence among Jewish communities in the region at that time.

During the Middle Ages, the surname Aaron was often associated with Jewish scholars and rabbinical families. One notable figure was Aaron of Lincoln (c. 1250-1320), a prominent English Jewish financier and advisor to King Edward I.

In the 16th century, the name Aaron gained popularity among Sephardic Jewish communities in the Iberian Peninsula and other parts of Europe. One example is Aaron Cardoso (1515-1609), a Portuguese-Jewish philosopher and physician who lived in Venice.

As Jewish communities migrated and settled in different parts of the world, the surname Aaron spread to various regions. In the 17th century, Aaron van Amersfoort (1619-1668) was a Dutch Golden Age painter known for his still-life works.

In the 19th century, the surname Aaron became more widespread, with individuals bearing the name emerging in various fields. One notable figure was Henry Aaron (1834-1919), an American civil engineer who designed several notable bridges and structures in the United States.

Other notable individuals with the surname Aaron include Raymond Aaron (1859-1935), a French playwright and screenwriter; Hank Aaron (1934-2021), an American baseball legend and Hall of Famer; and Richard Aaron (1901-1987), a British actor and singer known for his roles in various plays and musicals.

While the surname Aaron has its roots in the ancient Hebrew tradition, it has since been adopted by individuals of various ethnic and religious backgrounds, reflecting its enduring legacy and universal appeal.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Aaron

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Aaron.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

  1. White only
  2. Black only
  3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
  4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
  5. Hispanic
  6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Aaron was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 66.02% 10,745
Non-Hispanic Black Only 25.61% 4,168
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 1.30% 212
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.56% 91
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 2.22% 361
Hispanic Origin 4.28% 697

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Aaron has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 66.02% 69.85% -5.64%
Black 25.61% 24.76% 3.38%
Asian and Pacific Islander 1.30% 0.95% 31.11%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.56% 0.55% 1.80%
Two or More Races 2.22% 1.61% 31.85%
Hispanic 4.28% 2.28% 60.98%

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Aaron was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Aaron, please contact us.

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If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Aaron last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on July 27, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/aaron-surname-popularity/.

"Aaron last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/aaron-surname-popularity/. Accessed 27 July, 2024

Aaron last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/aaron-surname-popularity/.

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