2000
#143,847
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Arbia
A toponymic surname derived from Arbia, a village in Tuscany, Italy.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 135 Americans carry the last name Arbia. That puts it at #143,511 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,538,921 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Arbia 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
135
1 in 2,538,921
Census rank
#143,511
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
118
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 118 bearers of the surname Arbia in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 143511th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Arbia, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Hispanic (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Arbia
The surname ARBIA has its origins in the Arabic language and is found predominantly in North Africa, particularly in countries like Morocco and Algeria. The name is believed to have entered the region during the Arab conquests of the 7th and 8th centuries.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name ARBIA can be traced back to the 12th century, when it appeared in a manuscript documenting the lineage of a prominent family in the city of Fez, Morocco. This particular branch of the family is said to have descended from a respected Islamic scholar and jurist named Abu Abdullah Muhammad ibn Arbia.
The name ARBIA is thought to be derived from the Arabic word "arba'a," which translates to "four" or "four-sided." This association may stem from an ancestral connection to a region with four distinct borders or quarters, or perhaps to a dwelling or structure with four distinct sections or corners.
In the 14th century, a notable figure named Ahmad ibn Arbia al-Andalusi was a renowned poet and writer from the Andalusian region of Spain. His works, which included poetry and literary criticism, were widely admired and preserved in various libraries across the Mediterranean region.
During the 16th century, a prominent Moroccan family bearing the surname ARBIA held significant influence in the city of Marrakesh. One member of this family, Yusuf ibn Arbia, served as a trusted advisor to the Sultan of the Saadi dynasty and played a crucial role in the region's political and cultural affairs.
Another notable individual with the surname ARBIA was Fatima bint Arbia, a respected scholar and educator who lived in the 18th century. Hailing from a small town near Algiers, Fatima bint Arbia was renowned for her expertise in various Islamic disciplines, including jurisprudence, theology, and Arabic literature.
In the 19th century, a renowned Moroccan historian named Muhammad al-Arbia authored a comprehensive chronicle of the ruling dynasties and significant events in the history of Morocco. His work, titled "Al-Hulal al-Mawshiya," remains an invaluable resource for researchers studying the region's rich cultural heritage.
While the surname ARBIA has its roots in the Arabic-speaking world, it has since spread to other parts of the globe through migration and cultural exchange. However, its origins and historical significance remain deeply rooted in the vibrant tapestry of North African history and culture.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Arbia
Among Census respondents with the surname Arbia, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Hispanic (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Arbia 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 Arbia surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.4% · 109
- Two or more races3.4% · 4
- Hispanic or Latino2.5% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Arbia
Arbia 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
#148,347
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
+5 bearers (+4.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 4,500 places
2020
#143,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
+7 bearers (+6.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 4,836 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #143,847 | 106 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #148,347 | 111 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+4.7%) | Down 4,500 places |
| 2020 | #143,511 | 118 | 0.04 | +7 bearers (+6.3%) | Up 4,836 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 Arbia 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 | #148,347 | #143,511 | 3.3% |
| Count | 111 | 118 | 6.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -1.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Arbia bearers went from 111 to 118 (+6.3% change). The surname moved up 4,836 positions in the national ranking, going from #148,347 to #143,511.
FAQ
Arbia surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Arbia?
Name Census estimates that about 135 living Americans carry the surname Arbia. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,538,921 residents.
How common is Arbia?
Arbia ranks #143,511 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 118 people with the surname Arbia. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (135), 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 Arbia.
Has Arbia become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Arbia went from 111 recorded bearers to 118. That is an increase of 7 (+6.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #148,347 to #143,511.
What does the Census say about the background of Arbia?
Among Census respondents with the surname Arbia, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Hispanic (2.5%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Arbia in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.4% (109 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Arbia appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.4%), Two or More Races (3.4%), Hispanic (2.5%). 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 Arbia (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 Arbia mean?
A toponymic surname derived from Arbia, a village in Tuscany, Italy. 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 Arbia (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 people have the last name Arbia?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many Americans have the surname Arbia at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.