2000
#5,648
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,635
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.09
Rare Last name
Abeyta
A Basque toponymic surname derived from the village of Abeita in Basque Country, Spain.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,714 Americans carry the last name Abeyta. That puts it at #5,706 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.96 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 51,051 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Abeyta 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.
Bearers in the US
6.7K
1 in 51,051
Census rank
#5,706
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,855 bearers of the surname Abeyta in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.96 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5706th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Abeyta, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 76.3%. The next largest groups are White (16.3%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (5.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Abeyta
The surname Abeyta has its origins in Spain and is believed to have been derived from the place name Abeita or Abeyta, a small village located in the Basque Country region of northern Spain. The name is thought to be of Basque origin, but its exact meaning and etymology are uncertain.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname Abeyta can be traced back to the 16th century in Spain, where it appears in various historical records and documents from that time period. It is possible that the name may have been present even earlier, but records from that era are scarce.
One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Abeyta was Juan de Abeyta, who lived in the late 16th century and was a prominent landowner and farmer in the Basque region. Another notable figure was Pedro Abeyta, a soldier who served in the Spanish army during the 17th century and fought in several campaigns against the Moors in southern Spain.
As the Spanish empire expanded its reach across the Atlantic, the Abeyta surname made its way to the Americas, particularly to the region that is now known as New Mexico in the United States. Here, the name took on a new significance and became associated with the early Spanish settlers and colonists who established communities in the area.
One of the most famous individuals with the Abeyta surname was Tomás Abeyta (1737-1811), a prominent Spanish settler and rancher in New Mexico. He played a significant role in the development of the region and was widely respected for his leadership and contributions to the community.
Another notable figure was María Abeyta (1812-1892), a renowned curandera (traditional healer) and midwife who was highly regarded for her knowledge of medicinal plants and her skills in assisting with childbirth. Her legacy has been preserved through oral traditions and stories passed down through generations in New Mexico.
In more recent times, the Abeyta surname has been carried by individuals such as José Abeyta (1925-2010), a distinguished artist and sculptor whose works celebrated the rich cultural heritage of New Mexico and the Southwest region.
While the surname Abeyta is most commonly associated with Spanish and Hispanic populations in Spain, New Mexico, and other parts of the United States, it has also been found in various other countries, likely due to migration and dispersal of families over time.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Abeyta
Among Census respondents with the surname Abeyta, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 76.3%. The next largest groups are White (16.3%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (5.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Abeyta 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 Abeyta surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino76.3% · 4,469
- White16.3% · 956
- American Indian and Alaska Native5.3% · 312
- Two or more races1.2% · 73
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 26
- Black or African American0.3% · 19
Timeline
Historical Census data for Abeyta
Abeyta 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
#5,734
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,046
+411 bearers (+7.3%)
Per 100,000 2.05
Rank movement Down 86 places
2020
#5,706
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,855
-191 bearers (-3.2%)
Per 100,000 1.96
Rank movement Up 28 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,648 | 5,635 | 2.09 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,734 | 6,046 | 2.05 | +411 bearers (+7.3%) | Down 86 places |
| 2020 | #5,706 | 5,855 | 1.96 | -191 bearers (-3.2%) | Up 28 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 Abeyta 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 | #5,734 | #5,706 | 0.5% |
| Count | 6,046 | 5,855 | -3.2% |
| Per 100K | 2.05 | 1.96 | -4.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Abeyta bearers went from 6,046 to 5,855 (-3.2% change). The surname moved up 28 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,734 to #5,706.
FAQ
Abeyta surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Abeyta?
Name Census estimates that about 6,714 living Americans carry the surname Abeyta. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 51,051 residents.
How common is Abeyta?
Abeyta ranks #5,706 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.96 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,855 people with the surname Abeyta. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,714), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.96 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.96 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Abeyta.
Has Abeyta become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Abeyta went from 6,046 recorded bearers to 5,855. That is a decrease of 191 (-3.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #5,734 to #5,706.
What does the Census say about the background of Abeyta?
Among Census respondents with the surname Abeyta, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 76.3%. The next largest groups are White (16.3%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (5.3%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Abeyta in the 2020 Census, accounting for 76.3% (4,469 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Abeyta appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (76.3%), White (16.3%), American Indian/Alaska Native (5.3%). 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 Abeyta (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 Abeyta mean?
A Basque toponymic surname derived from the village of Abeita in Basque Country, Spain. 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 Abeyta (1.96 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 many people have the surname Abeyta?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.