2010
#159,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Ajo
A Spanish surname derived from the word "ajo," meaning "garlic," likely referring to a grower or seller of garlic.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 134 Americans carry the last name Ajo. That puts it at #144,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,557,868 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ajo 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
134
1 in 2,557,868
Census rank
#144,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
117
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 117 bearers of the surname Ajo in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 144270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ajo, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 54.7%. The next largest groups are White (19.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (14.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ajo
The surname AJO originated in Spain during the medieval period. It is derived from the Spanish word "ajo," which means garlic, suggesting that the name may have been associated with individuals who cultivated or traded in this crop.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Catastro de Ensenada, a census-like document from 1752 that listed landowners and their properties. This document mentions several individuals with the surname AJO residing in various regions of Spain.
In the 16th century, a notable individual named Juan de Ajo was a prominent merchant and ship owner based in Seville. He played a significant role in the Spanish trade with the Americas, facilitating the exchange of goods between Spain and its colonies.
During the 17th century, the name appeared in several historical records, including the baptismal records of the Cathedral of Seville, where a child named Pedro Ajo was baptized in 1629.
In the 18th century, a notable figure named María Josefa Ajo y Fernández de Santillán was a wealthy landowner and philanthropist from Santander. She made significant contributions to the local community, funding the construction of churches and schools.
Another individual of note was Francisco Ajo y Miranda, a prominent lawyer and judge who served in the Spanish colonial courts in Mexico during the late 18th century. He played a crucial role in administering justice and upholding the law in the Spanish territories.
As the name spread beyond Spain, it found its way to other parts of the world, including Latin America and the Philippines, where Spanish influence was significant during the colonial era.
While the surname AJO may have originated from a humble association with garlic cultivation, it has been borne by individuals from various walks of life throughout history, including merchants, landowners, lawyers, and judges, demonstrating the diverse paths that surnames can take over time.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ajo
Among Census respondents with the surname Ajo, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 54.7%. The next largest groups are White (19.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (14.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Ajo 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 Ajo surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino54.7% · 64
- White19.7% · 23
- Asian and Pacific Islander14.5% · 17
- Black or African American9.4% · 11
- Two or more races1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ajo
Ajo 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
#144,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
+16 bearers (+15.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 15,442 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #159,712 | 101 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #144,270 | 117 | 0.04 | +16 bearers (+15.8%) | Up 15,442 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 Ajo 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 | #159,712 | #144,270 | 9.7% |
| Count | 101 | 117 | 15.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 30.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ajo bearers went from 101 to 117 (+15.8% change). The surname moved up 15,442 positions in the national ranking, going from #159,712 to #144,270.
FAQ
Ajo surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ajo?
Name Census estimates that about 134 living Americans carry the surname Ajo. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,557,868 residents.
How common is Ajo?
Ajo ranks #144,270 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 117 people with the surname Ajo. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (134), 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 Ajo.
Has Ajo become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ajo went from 101 recorded bearers to 117. That is an increase of 16 (+15.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #159,712 to #144,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Ajo?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ajo, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 54.7%. The next largest groups are White (19.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (14.5%). 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 Ajo in the 2020 Census, accounting for 54.7% (64 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ajo appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (54.7%), White (19.7%), Asian/Pacific Islander (14.5%). 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 Ajo (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 Ajo mean?
A Spanish surname derived from the word "ajo," meaning "garlic," likely referring to a grower or seller of garlic. 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 Ajo (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 Americans have the surname Ajo?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.