Araújo last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Araújo

A surname originating in Portugal, possibly derived from the Spanish word "arroyo" meaning small stream.

Araújo, 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 Araújo surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Araújo in America

Araújo is the 154907th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Araújo surname appeared 105 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Araújo.

The history of the last name Araújo

The surname Arajo is of Spanish origin, with roots tracing back to the Iberian Peninsula during the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Spanish word "arroyo," meaning a small stream or brook, suggesting that the name's bearers may have lived near or originated from a place characterized by such a geographical feature.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Catalan region of Spain during the 13th century. In a manuscript dated 1247, a certain Pedro de Arajo is mentioned as a landowner in the village of Cervera. This historical document provides evidence of the name's existence and its association with a specific location within the Iberian territories.

The surname Arajo also appears in the Libros de Repartimiento, which were records of land distribution among the Spanish nobility following the Reconquista, the Christian reconquest of the Iberian Peninsula from the Moors. These records, dating back to the 13th and 14th centuries, mention several individuals bearing the Arajo surname, indicating their presence and involvement in the events of that era.

Notably, the Arajo name has been associated with notable figures throughout history. One such individual was Juan de Arajo, a renowned Spanish navigator and explorer who lived in the late 15th and early 16th centuries. He is credited with participating in Christopher Columbus' second voyage to the Americas in 1493 and later leading his own expeditions to the Caribbean and Central America.

Another prominent bearer of the Arajo surname was Pedro de Arajo, a Spanish conquistador who played a significant role in the conquest of Peru in the 16th century. He served under the command of Francisco Pizarro and participated in the capture of the Inca emperor Atahualpa in 1532, a pivotal event in the Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire.

In the realm of literature, Diego de Arajo y Molina, a Spanish writer and poet from the 17th century, gained recognition for his works, including the famous poem "Cántico Espiritual" (Spiritual Canticle). His literary contributions helped shape the cultural landscape of the Spanish Golden Age.

Additionally, the surname Arajo has been associated with various place names throughout Spain and its former territories. For instance, the town of Arajo in the province of Soria, Spain, likely derived its name from the surname, indicating the presence of individuals bearing this name in the area.

It is worth noting that variations in spelling, such as Araújo or Araujo, may have existed historically due to regional differences and language evolution. However, the core elements of the name and its origins remain consistent across these variations.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Araújo

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

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 Araújo was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 6.67% 7
Non-Hispanic Black Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 0.00% 0
Hispanic Origin 89.52% 94

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.

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

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

Reference this page

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If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Araújo last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on November 22, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/arajo-surname-popularity/.

"Araújo last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/arajo-surname-popularity/. Accessed 22 November, 2024

Araújo last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/arajo-surname-popularity/.

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