2000
#2,236
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 14,904
First available Census row
Per 100,000 5.52
Uncommon Last name
Aaron
A biblical name derived from the Hebrew name Aharon, meaning "high mountain" or "exalted."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 16,895 Americans carry the last name Aaron. That puts it at #2,412 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 4.93 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 20,287 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Aaron surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Aaron with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
17K
1 in 20,287
Census rank
#2,412
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
4.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
15K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 14,733 bearers of the surname Aaron in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 4.93 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2412th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Aaron, the largest self-reported group is White at 62.7%. The next largest groups are Black (27.1%) and Hispanic (4.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Aaron
Among Census respondents with the surname Aaron, the largest self-reported group is White at 62.7%. The next largest groups are Black (27.1%) and Hispanic (4.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Aaron bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Aaron surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White62.7% · 9,231
- Black or African American27.1% · 3,998
- Hispanic or Latino4.2% · 618
- Two or more races4.2% · 612
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.3% · 193
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 81
Timeline
Historical Census data for Aaron
Aaron appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#2,241
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 16,276
+1,372 bearers (+9.2%)
Per 100,000 5.52
Rank movement Down 5 places
2020
#2,412
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 14,733
-1,543 bearers (-9.5%)
Per 100,000 4.93
Rank movement Down 171 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,236 | 14,904 | 5.52 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,241 | 16,276 | 5.52 | +1,372 bearers (+9.2%) | Down 5 places |
| 2020 | #2,412 | 14,733 | 4.93 | -1,543 bearers (-9.5%) | Down 171 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Aaron surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #2,241 | #2,412 | -7.6% |
| Count | 16,276 | 14,733 | -9.5% |
| Per 100K | 5.52 | 4.93 | -10.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Aaron bearers went from 16,276 to 14,733 (-9.5% change). The surname moved down 171 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,241 to #2,412.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Aaron
FAQ
Aaron surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Aaron?
Name Census estimates that about 16,895 living Americans carry the surname Aaron. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 20,287 residents.
How common is Aaron?
Aaron ranks #2,412 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 4.93 per 100,000 residents, which is about 5 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 14,733 people with the surname Aaron. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (16,895), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 4.93 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 4.93 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 5 of them to have the surname Aaron.
Has Aaron become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Aaron went from 16,276 recorded bearers to 14,733. That is a decrease of 1,543 (-9.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,241 to #2,412.
What does the Census say about the background of Aaron?
Among Census respondents with the surname Aaron, the largest self-reported group is White at 62.7%. The next largest groups are Black (27.1%) and Hispanic (4.2%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Aaron in the 2020 Census, accounting for 62.7% (9,231 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Aaron appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (62.7%), Black (27.1%), Hispanic (4.2%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Aaron (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Aaron mean?
A biblical name derived from the Hebrew name Aharon, meaning "high mountain" or "exalted." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Aaron (4.93 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How common is the surname Aaron?
Find out how many people are called Aaron on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.