2000
#2,624
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,646
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.69
Uncommon Last name
Araujo
A Galician and Portuguese habitational surname referring to someone from any of various places named Araújo.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 22,748 Americans carry the last name Araujo. That puts it at #1,763 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 6.64 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 15,067 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Araujo 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Araujo with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
23K
1 in 15,067
Census rank
#1,763
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
6.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
20K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 19,837 bearers of the surname Araujo in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 6.64 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1763rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Araujo, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 66.3%. The next largest groups are White (27.8%) and Black (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Araujo
The surname Araujo originates from Portugal and has its roots in the 12th century. It is derived from the Portuguese word "araujo," which means a small oak grove or a thicket of oak trees. This surname is primarily found in the northern regions of Portugal, particularly in the provinces of Minho and Trás-os-Montes.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Araujo can be found in the medieval Portuguese manuscript "Livro Velho das Linhagens" (Old Book of Lineages), which dates back to the 13th century. This document mentions several noble families bearing the surname Araujo, indicating their prominence during that era.
In the 14th century, a notable figure named João Araujo was a renowned Portuguese explorer who accompanied Ferdinand Magellan on his famous voyage around the world. He played a crucial role in navigating the treacherous Strait of Magellan, which now bears his name.
During the 15th century, the Araujo family established themselves as influential landowners in the region of Minho. The town of Araujo, located in the municipality of Ponte de Lima, is believed to have been named after this prominent family, further solidifying their legacy in the area.
The 16th century saw the rise of Pedro de Araujo, a celebrated Portuguese architect and engineer who designed several iconic buildings, including the magnificent Jerónimos Monastery in Lisbon. His contributions to architectural design and engineering left an indelible mark on the nation's cultural heritage.
In the 18th century, Manuel Araujo de Castro, a Portuguese diplomat and statesman, played a pivotal role in negotiating the Treaty of Madrid, which resolved territorial disputes between Portugal and Spain in South America. His diplomatic efforts helped shape the geopolitical landscape of the time.
As the Araujo surname spread beyond Portugal, it found its way to various parts of the world, including Brazil, where it became prevalent among Portuguese settlers and their descendants. Prominent figures bearing this surname include João Araujo Correia, a 19th-century Brazilian lawyer and politician who served as the President of the State of Pará.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Araujo
Among Census respondents with the surname Araujo, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 66.3%. The next largest groups are White (27.8%) and Black (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Araujo 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 Araujo surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino66.3% · 13,157
- White27.8% · 5,524
- Black or African American2.7% · 529
- Two or more races1.6% · 320
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.3% · 257
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 50
Timeline
Historical Census data for Araujo
Araujo 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
#1,908
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 18,856
+6,210 bearers (+49.1%)
Per 100,000 6.39
Rank movement Up 716 places
2020
#1,763
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 19,837
+981 bearers (+5.2%)
Per 100,000 6.64
Rank movement Up 145 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,624 | 12,646 | 4.69 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,908 | 18,856 | 6.39 | +6,210 bearers (+49.1%) | Up 716 places |
| 2020 | #1,763 | 19,837 | 6.64 | +981 bearers (+5.2%) | Up 145 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 Araujo 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 | #1,908 | #1,763 | 7.6% |
| Count | 18,856 | 19,837 | 5.2% |
| Per 100K | 6.39 | 6.64 | 3.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Araujo bearers went from 18,856 to 19,837 (+5.2% change). The surname moved up 145 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,908 to #1,763.
FAQ
Araujo surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Araujo?
Name Census estimates that about 22,748 living Americans carry the surname Araujo. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 15,067 residents.
How common is Araujo?
Araujo ranks #1,763 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 6.64 per 100,000 residents, which is about 7 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 19,837 people with the surname Araujo. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (22,748), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 6.64 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 6.64 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 7 of them to have the surname Araujo.
Has Araujo become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Araujo went from 18,856 recorded bearers to 19,837. That is an increase of 981 (+5.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #1,908 to #1,763.
What does the Census say about the background of Araujo?
Among Census respondents with the surname Araujo, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 66.3%. The next largest groups are White (27.8%) and Black (2.7%). 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 Araujo in the 2020 Census, accounting for 66.3% (13,157 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Araujo appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (66.3%), White (27.8%), Black (2.7%). 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 Araujo (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 Araujo mean?
A Galician and Portuguese habitational surname referring to someone from any of various places named Araújo. 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 Araujo (6.64 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 Araujo?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.