2000
#6,002
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,284
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.96
Rare Last name
Araiza
A Basque surname derived from the word "arai," meaning "plum tree," likely referring to someone who lived near such trees.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 7,989 Americans carry the last name Araiza. That puts it at #4,910 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.33 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 42,903 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Araiza 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
8.0K
1 in 42,903
Census rank
#4,910
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
7.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,967 bearers of the surname Araiza in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.33 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4910th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Araiza, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 93.1%. The next largest groups are White (5.4%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Araiza
The surname Araiza originates from Spain and is believed to have derived from the Spanish word "araiza," which means "plowman" or "farmer." This name first appeared in the Basque region of northern Spain during the Middle Ages.
The earliest recorded instance of the Araiza surname dates back to the 13th century, when it was mentioned in a medieval census record from the town of Vitoria, located in the present-day Basque Country. The name was likely associated with individuals who worked as farmers or were involved in agricultural activities.
In the 15th century, the Araiza surname was found in various historical documents from the region of Navarre, which borders the Basque Country. These records often referred to individuals with this last name as landowners or tenants of agricultural properties.
One notable historical figure bearing the Araiza surname was Pedro de Araiza, a Basque soldier who fought in the Spanish conquest of Mexico in the early 16th century. He participated in the expeditions of Hernán Cortés and played a role in the fall of the Aztec Empire.
Another prominent individual with the Araiza surname was Juan de Araiza, a 17th-century Spanish architect who was involved in the construction of several churches and buildings in the city of Seville. His work showcased the intricate Baroque architectural style prevalent during that period.
In the 18th century, the Araiza family had established roots in various parts of Spain, with some members migrating to the Americas, particularly to regions that are now part of Mexico and the southwestern United States. José María Araiza, a Mexican landowner and rancher, was a notable figure during the Mexican-American War in the mid-19th century.
Throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries, individuals with the Araiza surname contributed to various fields, including literature, politics, and the arts. One such figure was Ignacio Araiza, a Mexican poet and writer who was part of the literary movement known as the "Ateneo de la Juventud" in the early 1900s.
The Araiza surname has since spread to other parts of the world, carried by individuals of Spanish and Mexican descent. While the name's origins can be traced back to the Basque region of Spain, it has become widely dispersed across different countries and cultures.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Araiza
Among Census respondents with the surname Araiza, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 93.1%. The next largest groups are White (5.4%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Araiza 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 Araiza surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino93.1% · 6,489
- White5.4% · 373
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 42
- Two or more races0.4% · 29
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 21
- Black or African American0.2% · 13
Timeline
Historical Census data for Araiza
Araiza 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
#4,956
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,095
+1,811 bearers (+34.3%)
Per 100,000 2.41
Rank movement Up 1,046 places
2020
#4,910
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,967
-128 bearers (-1.8%)
Per 100,000 2.33
Rank movement Up 46 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,002 | 5,284 | 1.96 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,956 | 7,095 | 2.41 | +1,811 bearers (+34.3%) | Up 1,046 places |
| 2020 | #4,910 | 6,967 | 2.33 | -128 bearers (-1.8%) | Up 46 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 Araiza 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 | #4,956 | #4,910 | 0.9% |
| Count | 7,095 | 6,967 | -1.8% |
| Per 100K | 2.41 | 2.33 | -3.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Araiza bearers went from 7,095 to 6,967 (-1.8% change). The surname moved up 46 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,956 to #4,910.
FAQ
Araiza surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Araiza?
Name Census estimates that about 7,989 living Americans carry the surname Araiza. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 42,903 residents.
How common is Araiza?
Araiza ranks #4,910 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.33 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 6,967 people with the surname Araiza. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (7,989), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.33 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.33 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Araiza.
Has Araiza become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Araiza went from 7,095 recorded bearers to 6,967. That is a decrease of 128 (-1.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #4,956 to #4,910.
What does the Census say about the background of Araiza?
Among Census respondents with the surname Araiza, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 93.1%. The next largest groups are White (5.4%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.6%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Araiza in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.1% (6,489 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Araiza appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (93.1%), White (5.4%), American Indian/Alaska Native (0.6%). 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 Araiza (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 Araiza mean?
A Basque surname derived from the word "arai," meaning "plum tree," likely referring to someone who lived near such trees. 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 Araiza (2.33 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 surname Araiza?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.