2000
#121,058
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 132
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Argila
An archaic Spanish surname derived from the word "arcilla" meaning clay or earth.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 120 Americans carry the last name Argila. That puts it at #152,989 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,856,286 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Argila 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
120
1 in 2,856,286
Census rank
#152,989
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
105
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 105 bearers of the surname Argila in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152989th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Argila, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (13.3%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Argila
The surname Argila has its origins in the Iberian Peninsula, specifically in the region of Catalonia in present-day Spain. It is believed to have derived from the Latin word "argilla," which means "clay" or "earth." This suggests that the name may have been initially associated with those who worked with clay or lived in areas with clay-rich soil.
The earliest records of the name Argila can be traced back to the 13th century, during the Christian reconquest of the Iberian Peninsula from the Moors. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Bernat Argila, a nobleman who lived in the town of Lleida, Catalonia, in the late 1200s.
In the 14th century, the name appeared in various historical documents, including the "Llibre de Repartiment" (Book of Distribution), which recorded the distribution of land and properties in the Kingdom of Valencia after its reconquest in 1238. One notable entry mentions a certain Pere Argila, who received land grants in the region of Alzira.
During the 15th and 16th centuries, the Argila family gained prominence in the region of Valencia, with several members holding influential positions in the local government and the Catholic Church. One such individual was Jaume Argila (1450-1523), who served as a magistrate in the city of Valencia and was known for his expertise in civil law.
In the 17th century, the name Argila spread to other parts of Spain, including Aragon and Andalusia. One notable bearer of the name from this period was Fray Juan Argila (1602-1678), a Franciscan friar who served as a missionary in the Americas and authored several religious texts.
As the name Argila continued to spread throughout Spain, it also found its way to the Spanish colonies in the Americas. In the 18th century, there are records of individuals with the surname Argila in Mexico, Cuba, and Puerto Rico, suggesting that the name had become well-established in the Spanish colonial territories.
Throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries, several notable individuals with the surname Argila made their mark in various fields. For example, Miguel Argila (1825-1892) was a renowned Spanish painter and sculptor, known for his works depicting scenes from everyday life in Andalusia. Additionally, Antonia Argila (1870-1945) was a celebrated writer and feminist activist who campaigned for women's rights and education in Spain.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Argila
Among Census respondents with the surname Argila, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (13.3%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Argila 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 Argila surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White81.9% · 86
- Hispanic or Latino13.3% · 14
- Two or more races2.9% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.9% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Argila
Argila 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
#140,157
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
-13 bearers (-9.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 19,099 places
2020
#152,989
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
-14 bearers (-11.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 12,832 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #121,058 | 132 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #140,157 | 119 | 0.04 | -13 bearers (-9.8%) | Down 19,099 places |
| 2020 | #152,989 | 105 | 0.04 | -14 bearers (-11.8%) | Down 12,832 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 Argila 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 | #140,157 | #152,989 | -9.2% |
| Count | 119 | 105 | -11.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -12.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Argila bearers went from 119 to 105 (-11.8% change). The surname moved down 12,832 positions in the national ranking, going from #140,157 to #152,989.
FAQ
Argila surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Argila?
Name Census estimates that about 120 living Americans carry the surname Argila. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,856,286 residents.
How common is Argila?
Argila ranks #152,989 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 105 people with the surname Argila. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (120), 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 Argila.
Has Argila become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Argila went from 119 recorded bearers to 105. That is a decrease of 14 (-11.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #140,157 to #152,989.
What does the Census say about the background of Argila?
Among Census respondents with the surname Argila, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (13.3%) and Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Argila in the 2020 Census, accounting for 81.9% (86 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Argila appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (81.9%), Hispanic (13.3%), Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Argila (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 Argila mean?
An archaic Spanish surname derived from the word "arcilla" meaning clay or earth. 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 Argila (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 surname Argila?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.