2000
#141,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Acayan
A surname of Spanish origin, likely derived from a place name or referring to a person from Acaya.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Acayan. That puts it at #141,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,465,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Acayan 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
139
1 in 2,465,859
Census rank
#141,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
121
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 121 bearers of the surname Acayan in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 141309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Acayan, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 81.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.4%) and White (6.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Acayan
The surname ACAYAN is of Filipino origin, believed to have originated from the Tagalog region of the Philippines during the 16th century. It is speculated that the name may have derived from the Tagalog word "acay," meaning "reed" or "rattan," possibly indicating that the earliest bearers of this surname were involved in the trade or cultivation of these materials.
Historical records from the Spanish colonial era in the Philippines mention several individuals bearing the surname ACAYAN. One notable example is Juan ACAYAN, a prominent landowner and farmer from the province of Bulacan, whose name appears in land grant documents dating back to the late 1700s.
The earliest recorded instance of the surname ACAYAN can be traced back to a baptismal record from the town of Malolos, Bulacan, in 1647, where a child named Maria ACAYAN was baptized. This record provides valuable insight into the antiquity of this surname in the Philippines.
During the 19th century, the ACAYAN surname gained prominence in various regions of the Philippines. One notable figure was Pedro ACAYAN (1821-1887), a respected scholar and educator from Pampanga who was instrumental in establishing several schools and educational institutions in his home province.
Another notable ACAYAN was Marcela ACAYAN (1856-1924), a renowned writer and poet from Bulacan. Her literary works, which often explored themes of love, nature, and Filipino culture, earned her widespread acclaim and recognition during her lifetime.
In the early 20th century, Manuel ACAYAN (1892-1968) made a name for himself as a successful businessman and philanthropist. Born in Bulacan, he established several successful enterprises and used his wealth to support various charitable causes, particularly in the areas of education and healthcare.
Throughout its history, the ACAYAN surname has been associated with various place names and localities within the Philippines. For instance, the town of Acayan in the province of Bataan is believed to have derived its name from the ACAYAN surname, suggesting that early settlers of the area may have shared this surname.
Overall, the surname ACAYAN holds a rich history and cultural significance within the Philippines, tracing its roots back to the 16th century and spanning various regions, professions, and achievements of its bearers over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Acayan
Among Census respondents with the surname Acayan, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 81.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.4%) and White (6.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Acayan 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 Acayan surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander81.8% · 99
- Two or more races7.4% · 9
- White6.6% · 8
- Hispanic or Latino4.1% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Acayan
Acayan 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
#146,201
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
+5 bearers (+4.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 4,413 places
2020
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
+8 bearers (+7.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 4,892 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #141,788 | 108 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #146,201 | 113 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+4.6%) | Down 4,413 places |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | +8 bearers (+7.1%) | Up 4,892 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 Acayan 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 | #146,201 | #141,309 | 3.3% |
| Count | 113 | 121 | 7.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 1.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Acayan bearers went from 113 to 121 (+7.1% change). The surname moved up 4,892 positions in the national ranking, going from #146,201 to #141,309.
FAQ
Acayan surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Acayan?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Acayan. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Acayan?
Acayan ranks #141,309 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 121 people with the surname Acayan. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (139), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Acayan.
Has Acayan become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Acayan went from 113 recorded bearers to 121. That is an increase of 8 (+7.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #146,201 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Acayan?
Among Census respondents with the surname Acayan, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 81.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.4%) and White (6.6%). 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Acayan in the 2020 Census, accounting for 81.8% (99 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Acayan appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (81.8%), Two or More Races (7.4%), White (6.6%). 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 Acayan (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 Acayan mean?
A surname of Spanish origin, likely derived from a place name or referring to a person from Acaya. 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 Acayan (0.04 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 are called Acayan?
If you just want to know how many people are called Acayan, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.