2000
#3,321
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,878
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.66
Uncommon Last name
Aguayo
A Spanish habitational surname referring to someone from any of the various places named Aguayo.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 14,407 Americans carry the last name Aguayo. That puts it at #2,794 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 4.20 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 23,791 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Aguayo 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
14K
1 in 23,791
Census rank
#2,794
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
4.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
13K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 12,564 bearers of the surname Aguayo in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 4.20 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2794th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Aguayo, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 94.4%. The next largest groups are White (4.6%) and Black (0.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Aguayo
The surname Aguayo originates from Spain, specifically from the Basque region. Its roots can be traced back to the 12th century. The name is believed to have derived from the Basque word "aguayo," which means "shepherd" or "one who herds sheep."
In the early days, the name was closely associated with the pastoral lifestyle prevalent in the Basque Country. Many families bearing this surname were involved in shepherding and tending to flocks of sheep in the rugged mountain terrain of the region.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Aguayo can be found in the Becerro Galicano de las Behetrias, a manuscript from the 14th century that documented the names of landowners and their properties in the Kingdom of Castile.
During the 16th century, as the Spanish empire expanded, many individuals with the surname Aguayo ventured to the Americas as part of the conquests and colonization efforts. One notable figure was Diego de Aguayo, a Spanish conquistador who participated in the conquest of Mexico under Hernán Cortés in the early 1500s.
In the 18th century, Juan Isidro Aguayo y Olano, born in 1714, was a prominent Spanish military officer who served as the Governor of Texas from 1722 to 1726. His tenure was marked by efforts to establish settlements and fortify the region against French encroachment.
Another historical figure bearing this surname was Mariano Aguayo, a Mexican revolutionary who fought alongside Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla during the Mexican War of Independence in the early 19th century. He was born in 1781 and played a significant role in the struggle for Mexican independence from Spanish rule.
In the realm of literature, Jesús Aguayo García, a Spanish poet and writer born in 1919, gained recognition for his works that explored themes of identity, memory, and the human experience. His poetic collections, such as "Voz de la memoria" and "Senderos de la noche," earned him critical acclaim.
Throughout history, the surname Aguayo has been present in various regions, from its Basque origins to its spread across Spain and the Americas during the colonial era. It has been carried by individuals from diverse walks of life, including conquistadors, military leaders, revolutionaries, and literary figures, leaving an indelible mark on the cultural and historical tapestry of the areas where it has been prevalent.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Aguayo
Among Census respondents with the surname Aguayo, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 94.4%. The next largest groups are White (4.6%) and Black (0.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Aguayo 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 Aguayo surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino94.4% · 11,858
- White4.6% · 574
- Black or African American0.3% · 42
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 36
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 27
- Two or more races0.2% · 27
Timeline
Historical Census data for Aguayo
Aguayo 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
#2,799
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,876
+2,998 bearers (+30.4%)
Per 100,000 4.37
Rank movement Up 522 places
2020
#2,794
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,564
-312 bearers (-2.4%)
Per 100,000 4.20
Rank movement Up 5 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,321 | 9,878 | 3.66 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,799 | 12,876 | 4.37 | +2,998 bearers (+30.4%) | Up 522 places |
| 2020 | #2,794 | 12,564 | 4.20 | -312 bearers (-2.4%) | Up 5 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 Aguayo 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 | #2,799 | #2,794 | 0.2% |
| Count | 12,876 | 12,564 | -2.4% |
| Per 100K | 4.37 | 4.20 | -3.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Aguayo bearers went from 12,876 to 12,564 (-2.4% change). The surname moved up 5 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,799 to #2,794.
FAQ
Aguayo surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Aguayo?
Name Census estimates that about 14,407 living Americans carry the surname Aguayo. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 23,791 residents.
How common is Aguayo?
Aguayo ranks #2,794 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 4.20 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 12,564 people with the surname Aguayo. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (14,407), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 4.2 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 4.20 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Aguayo.
Has Aguayo become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Aguayo went from 12,876 recorded bearers to 12,564. That is a decrease of 312 (-2.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #2,799 to #2,794.
What does the Census say about the background of Aguayo?
Among Census respondents with the surname Aguayo, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 94.4%. The next largest groups are White (4.6%) and Black (0.3%). 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 Aguayo in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.4% (11,858 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Aguayo appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (94.4%), White (4.6%), Black (0.3%). 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 Aguayo (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 Aguayo mean?
A Spanish habitational surname referring to someone from any of the various places named Aguayo. 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 Aguayo (4.20 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 Americans have the surname Aguayo?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.