2010
#123,064
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 140
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Aguirra
Basque surname derived from the word "agirre," meaning "prominent" or "exposed place," likely referring to a location.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 125 Americans carry the last name Aguirra. That puts it at #150,205 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,742,035 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Aguirra 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
125
1 in 2,742,035
Census rank
#150,205
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
109
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 109 bearers of the surname Aguirra in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150205th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Aguirra, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 96.3%. The next largest groups are White (1.8%) and Black (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Aguirra
The surname Aguirra is of Spanish origin, originating in the Basque region of northern Spain and southern France during the medieval period. It is derived from the Basque word "agira," meaning "opening" or "hole," and may have referred to a specific geographical feature or location where the name originated.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Aguirra can be found in the Cartulario de San Millán de la Cogolla, a medieval manuscript dating back to the 11th century. This document contains references to individuals bearing the name Aguirra in the region of La Rioja, Spain.
In the 15th century, the name Aguirra appeared in several historical records related to the Spanish conquest of the Americas. Juan de Aguirra (1479-1538) was a Spanish conquistador who participated in the conquest of Peru under Francisco Pizarro. He played a significant role in the establishment of Spanish settlements in the region.
Another notable individual with the surname Aguirra was Lope de Aguirre (1510-1561), a Spanish conquistador known for leading a notorious rebellion against the Spanish crown in Venezuela and Peru. His exploits and eventual demise are chronicled in historical accounts and literary works, such as "El Dorado" by Lope de Aguirra.
In the 17th century, the name Aguirra was associated with several prominent figures in the ecclesiastical and military spheres. Pedro de Aguirre (1616-1677) was a Spanish Jesuit missionary who played a significant role in the evangelization efforts in Paraguay and Argentina.
During the 18th century, the surname Aguirra gained prominence in various regions of Spain and its colonies. Juan de Aguirra y Vero (1725-1786) was a Spanish military engineer and architect who contributed to the development of several fortifications and public works projects in Spain and the Americas.
Throughout history, the surname Aguirra has been closely associated with its Basque origins and has maintained a strong presence in regions with significant Basque influence, such as northern Spain and parts of South America, particularly Argentina and Chile.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Aguirra
Among Census respondents with the surname Aguirra, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 96.3%. The next largest groups are White (1.8%) and Black (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Aguirra 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 Aguirra surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino96.3% · 105
- White1.8% · 2
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Aguirra
Aguirra appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#150,205
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
-31 bearers (-22.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 27,141 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #123,064 | 140 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #150,205 | 109 | 0.04 | -31 bearers (-22.1%) | Down 27,141 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 Aguirra 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 | #123,064 | #150,205 | -22.1% |
| Count | 140 | 109 | -22.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -27.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Aguirra bearers went from 140 to 109 (-22.1% change). The surname moved down 27,141 positions in the national ranking, going from #123,064 to #150,205.
FAQ
Aguirra surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Aguirra?
Name Census estimates that about 125 living Americans carry the surname Aguirra. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,742,035 residents.
How common is Aguirra?
Aguirra ranks #150,205 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 109 people with the surname Aguirra. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (125), 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 Aguirra.
Has Aguirra become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Aguirra went from 140 recorded bearers to 109. That is a decrease of 31 (-22.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #123,064 to #150,205.
What does the Census say about the background of Aguirra?
Among Census respondents with the surname Aguirra, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 96.3%. The next largest groups are White (1.8%) and Black (0.9%). 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 Aguirra in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.3% (105 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Aguirra appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (96.3%), White (1.8%), Black (0.9%). 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 Aguirra (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 Aguirra mean?
Basque surname derived from the word "agirre," meaning "prominent" or "exposed place," likely referring to a location. 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 Aguirra (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 have the last name Aguirra?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the last name Aguirra at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.