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

Aguiar, 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 Aguiar surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Aguiar in America

Aguiar is the 4227th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Aguiar surname appeared 8,390 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Aguiar.

We can also compare 2010 data for Aguiar 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.

The history of the last name Aguiar

The surname Aguiar is believed to have originated in Portugal, where it is most commonly found. It is derived from the Portuguese word "agua," meaning water, suggesting that the name may have been given to someone who lived near a body of water or worked with water in some capacity.

The earliest recorded instances of the Aguiar surname date back to the 12th and 13th centuries in Portugal. Some historical records from this time period mention individuals with the name, such as João de Aguiar, a nobleman who lived in the 13th century.

In the 15th century, the name appeared in various Portuguese manuscripts and documents, including records of land ownership and noble families. For example, the Aguiar family was a prominent noble lineage during this time, with members holding important positions in the Portuguese court and military.

One notable individual with the surname Aguiar was Tomé de Aguiar, a Portuguese explorer and navigator who lived in the 16th century. He participated in several voyages to South America and Africa, contributing to the expansion of Portuguese exploration and trade.

The Aguiar surname is also associated with various place names in Portugal, such as Aguiar da Beira, a municipality in the Guarda District, and Aguiar de Sousa, a parish in the Porto District. These place names likely derived from the word "agua" as well, indicating the presence of water sources in those areas.

Throughout history, several other individuals with the surname Aguiar have made significant contributions in various fields. Manuel Aguiar, a 17th-century Portuguese painter, was known for his religious works. António Ribeiro de Aguiar, a 19th-century Brazilian politician and lawyer, played a prominent role in the independence movement of Brazil.

In more recent times, Fernando Aguiar, a 20th-century Portuguese sculptor and artist, gained recognition for his abstract and modernist works. Additionally, Miguel Aguiar, a contemporary Portuguese mathematician and physicist, has made notable contributions to the field of systems biology and complex systems.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Aguiar

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

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 Aguiar was:

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 Aguiar has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

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 Aguiar was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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