2000
#17,101
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,531
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.57
Rare Last name
Arauz
A Spanish surname derived from the Basque word for "dwelling place" or "hamlet."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,777 Americans carry the last name Arauz. That puts it at #12,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.81 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 123,426 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Arauz 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
2.8K
1 in 123,426
Census rank
#12,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,422 bearers of the surname Arauz in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.81 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Arauz, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 92.4%. The next largest groups are White (5.8%) and Black (0.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Arauz
The surname Arauz originated in Spain, where it first appeared in the 14th century. It is believed to be derived from the Arabic word "ar-rauz," which means "the garden" or "the orchard." This suggests that the name may have referred to someone who worked in or lived near a garden or orchard.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Arauz surname can be found in the archives of the city of Valencia, where a certain Juan Arauz was mentioned in a document dated 1387. This provides evidence that the name was already in use in the late 14th century.
The name Arauz is also associated with the town of Arauz, located in the province of Navarre in northern Spain. It is possible that the surname originated from this place name, with early bearers of the name hailing from this region.
In the 15th century, the Arauz family gained prominence in the region of Andalusia, where they were involved in various trades and professions. One notable member of the family was Pedro Arauz, a merchant who lived in Seville in the late 1400s.
Another historical figure bearing the Arauz surname was Hernando Arauz, a Spanish conquistador who participated in the conquest of Peru in the 16th century. He served under the command of Francisco Pizarro and played a role in the subjugation of the Inca Empire.
During the 17th century, the Arauz family expanded their influence to the Spanish colonies in the Americas. One notable member was Juan Arauz, a government official who served as the governor of Panama from 1637 to 1641.
In the 18th century, the Arauz family continued to be a prominent presence in Spain and its colonies. One notable figure was Miguel Arauz, a writer and philosopher who lived in Madrid during the late 1700s.
As the Arauz surname spread across the Spanish-speaking world, it also took on various spellings and variations, such as Araus, Arauzo, and Araujo. These variations reflect the regional dialects and linguistic influences on the name over time.
In summary, the surname Arauz has a rich history spanning several centuries, with its origins rooted in Spain and possible Arabic influences. It has been associated with various historical figures and regions, and has evolved into several variations over time.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Arauz
Among Census respondents with the surname Arauz, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 92.4%. The next largest groups are White (5.8%) and Black (0.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Arauz 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 Arauz surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino92.4% · 2,238
- White5.8% · 140
- Black or African American0.8% · 20
- Two or more races0.5% · 13
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 7
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Arauz
Arauz 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
#13,981
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,156
+625 bearers (+40.8%)
Per 100,000 0.73
Rank movement Up 3,120 places
2020
#12,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,422
+266 bearers (+12.3%)
Per 100,000 0.81
Rank movement Up 1,711 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #17,101 | 1,531 | 0.57 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,981 | 2,156 | 0.73 | +625 bearers (+40.8%) | Up 3,120 places |
| 2020 | #12,270 | 2,422 | 0.81 | +266 bearers (+12.3%) | Up 1,711 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 Arauz 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 | #13,981 | #12,270 | 12.2% |
| Count | 2,156 | 2,422 | 12.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.73 | 0.81 | 11.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Arauz bearers went from 2,156 to 2,422 (+12.3% change). The surname moved up 1,711 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,981 to #12,270.
FAQ
Arauz surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Arauz?
Name Census estimates that about 2,777 living Americans carry the surname Arauz. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 123,426 residents.
How common is Arauz?
Arauz ranks #12,270 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.81 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,422 people with the surname Arauz. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,777), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.81 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.81 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Arauz.
Has Arauz become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Arauz went from 2,156 recorded bearers to 2,422. That is an increase of 266 (+12.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #13,981 to #12,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Arauz?
Among Census respondents with the surname Arauz, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 92.4%. The next largest groups are White (5.8%) and Black (0.8%). 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 Arauz in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.4% (2,238 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Arauz appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (92.4%), White (5.8%), Black (0.8%). 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 Arauz (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 Arauz mean?
A Spanish surname derived from the Basque word for "dwelling place" or "hamlet." 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 Arauz (0.81 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 common is the surname Arauz?
If you just want to know how many people have the surname Arauz, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.