2010
#141,140
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Arcalas
A Spanish surname derived from the local Arcalá or Arcála place name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 123 Americans carry the last name Arcalas. That puts it at #151,639 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,786,621 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Arcalas 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
123
1 in 2,786,621
Census rank
#151,639
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
107
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 107 bearers of the surname Arcalas in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 151639th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Arcalas, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 90.7%. The next largest groups are White (4.7%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Arcalas
The surname Arcalas originated in Spain during the medieval period, with roots that can be traced back to the Catalan region. It is believed to be derived from the Latin word "arcus," meaning "arch" or "bow," combined with the suffix "-alas," which is a common ending in Catalan surnames. This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near an arched structure or worked as an archer or bowmaker.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Arcalas surname can be found in the "Llibre del Repartiment," a 13th-century document that recorded the distribution of lands and properties in the Kingdom of Valencia after the Christian conquest. This document mentions several individuals with the name Arcalas, indicating that the surname was already established in the region at that time.
In the 14th century, the Arcalas family played a prominent role in the city of Barcelona, with several members serving as merchants, artisans, and civic leaders. One notable figure was Joan Arcalas, a successful textile merchant who served as a councilman in the city's government during the 1360s.
As the Arcalas family grew and spread throughout Spain, variations in the spelling of the name emerged, including Arcalás, Arcalàs, and Arcalàz. These variations often reflected regional linguistic differences or were adapted to suit local pronunciation and spelling conventions.
During the 16th century, the Arcalas surname gained international recognition with the exploits of Pedro Arcalas, a Spanish navigator and explorer who accompanied Ferdinand Magellan on his famous circumnavigation voyage. Pedro Arcalas was born in Seville in 1490 and served as a pilot on Magellan's fleet, playing a crucial role in the successful navigation of the treacherous Strait of Magellan.
Another notable figure from this time period was Catalina Arcalas, a renowned artist from Valencia who specialized in religious paintings and murals. Her works adorned numerous churches and cathedrals throughout Spain, and she was widely celebrated for her mastery of color and composition. Catalina Arcalas lived from 1525 to 1598.
In the 17th century, the Arcalas family continued to make notable contributions in various fields. Tomás Arcalas (1610-1682) was a respected theologian and philosopher who taught at the University of Salamanca, while his contemporary, Juana Arcalas (1618-1694), was a pioneering female playwright and poet whose works explored themes of love, identity, and societal norms.
As the centuries passed, the Arcalas surname spread beyond Spain, with descendants settling in various parts of Europe, the Americas, and other regions. While the name may have evolved or adapted to different cultural contexts, its Spanish origins and historical significance remain firmly rooted in the annals of Iberian history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Arcalas
Among Census respondents with the surname Arcalas, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 90.7%. The next largest groups are White (4.7%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Arcalas 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 Arcalas surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander90.7% · 97
- White4.7% · 5
- Two or more races4.7% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Arcalas
Arcalas appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#151,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
-11 bearers (-9.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 10,499 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #141,140 | 118 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #151,639 | 107 | 0.04 | -11 bearers (-9.3%) | Down 10,499 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 Arcalas 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 | #141,140 | #151,639 | -7.4% |
| Count | 118 | 107 | -9.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -10.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Arcalas bearers went from 118 to 107 (-9.3% change). The surname moved down 10,499 positions in the national ranking, going from #141,140 to #151,639.
FAQ
Arcalas surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Arcalas?
Name Census estimates that about 123 living Americans carry the surname Arcalas. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,786,621 residents.
How common is Arcalas?
Arcalas ranks #151,639 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 107 people with the surname Arcalas. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (123), 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 Arcalas.
Has Arcalas become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Arcalas went from 118 recorded bearers to 107. That is a decrease of 11 (-9.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #141,140 to #151,639.
What does the Census say about the background of Arcalas?
Among Census respondents with the surname Arcalas, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 90.7%. The next largest groups are White (4.7%) and Two or More Races (4.7%). 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Arcalas in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.7% (97 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Arcalas appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (90.7%), White (4.7%), Two or More Races (4.7%). 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 Arcalas (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 Arcalas mean?
A Spanish surname derived from the local Arcalá or Arcála place name. 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 Arcalas (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 Arcalas?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans have the surname Arcalas on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.