2000
#4,900
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,585
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.44
Rare Last name
Arguello
A Spanish toponymic surname referring to someone from any of several places named Argüello in Spain.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 9,569 Americans carry the last name Arguello. That puts it at #4,127 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.79 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 35,819 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Arguello 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
9.6K
1 in 35,819
Census rank
#4,127
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
8.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 8,345 bearers of the surname Arguello in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.79 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4127th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Arguello, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 89.2%. The next largest groups are White (9.0%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Arguello
The surname Arguello is of Spanish origin and can be traced back to the medieval era. It is believed to have originated from the Castilian Spanish word "arguello," which means a small gorge or ravine. This suggests that the name was likely derived from a topographic feature or a place name associated with such a landscape.
In the early 13th century, records show the name Arguello appearing in various regions of Spain, particularly in the northern regions of Asturias and Cantabria. It is possible that the name was initially adopted by families living near or in proximity to a ravine or gorge, which might have served as a distinguishing feature in their local area.
One of the earliest known references to the name Arguello can be found in the "Repartimiento de Sevilla," a document dating back to the 13th century, which recorded the distribution of lands and properties among the conquering Christians in the city of Seville after the Reconquista. This document mentions individuals with the surname Arguello, indicating their presence in the region during that time.
In the 15th century, the name Arguello gained prominence through the exploits of Diego de Arguello, a Spanish conquistador and explorer who accompanied Hernán Cortés in the conquest of Mexico. Born around 1480 in Seville, Diego de Arguello played a significant role in the exploration and colonization of the Americas.
Another notable figure bearing the surname Arguello was José Dario Arguello, a Mexican military officer and politician who served as the last Spanish Governor of Alta California from 1815 to 1822. Born in 1753 in Guadalajara, Mexico, he played a crucial role in the transition of California from Spanish to Mexican rule.
In the early 19th century, the name Arguello gained prominence in the United States through the life of Luis Antonio Arguello, a soldier and diplomat who served as the first governor of Alta California under Mexican rule from 1822 to 1825. Born in 1784 in San Francisco, California, he was a prominent figure in the early history of the state.
The surname Arguello can also be found in various regions of Latin America, such as Mexico, Argentina, and Chile, where it was likely carried by Spanish settlers and emigrants during the colonial period. Over time, the name has undergone various spelling variations, including Argüello, Arguellos, and Argüellos.
Throughout history, the surname Arguello has been associated with individuals from diverse backgrounds, including military leaders, politicians, explorers, and civilians. While the name's origins can be traced back to medieval Spain, it has since spread across continents, reflecting the far-reaching influence of Spanish colonization and migration.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Arguello
Among Census respondents with the surname Arguello, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 89.2%. The next largest groups are White (9.0%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Arguello 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 Arguello surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino89.2% · 7,446
- White9.0% · 753
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 42
- Two or more races0.5% · 39
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 37
- Black or African American0.3% · 28
Timeline
Historical Census data for Arguello
Arguello 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
#4,160
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,518
+1,933 bearers (+29.4%)
Per 100,000 2.89
Rank movement Up 740 places
2020
#4,127
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,345
-173 bearers (-2.0%)
Per 100,000 2.79
Rank movement Up 33 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,900 | 6,585 | 2.44 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,160 | 8,518 | 2.89 | +1,933 bearers (+29.4%) | Up 740 places |
| 2020 | #4,127 | 8,345 | 2.79 | -173 bearers (-2.0%) | Up 33 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 Arguello 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 | #4,160 | #4,127 | 0.8% |
| Count | 8,518 | 8,345 | -2.0% |
| Per 100K | 2.89 | 2.79 | -3.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Arguello bearers went from 8,518 to 8,345 (-2.0% change). The surname moved up 33 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,160 to #4,127.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Arguello
FAQ
Arguello surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Arguello?
Name Census estimates that about 9,569 living Americans carry the surname Arguello. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 35,819 residents.
How common is Arguello?
Arguello ranks #4,127 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.79 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 8,345 people with the surname Arguello. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (9,569), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.79 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.79 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Arguello.
Has Arguello become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Arguello went from 8,518 recorded bearers to 8,345. That is a decrease of 173 (-2.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #4,160 to #4,127.
What does the Census say about the background of Arguello?
Among Census respondents with the surname Arguello, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 89.2%. The next largest groups are White (9.0%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.5%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Arguello in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.2% (7,446 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Arguello appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (89.2%), White (9.0%), American Indian/Alaska Native (0.5%). 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 Arguello (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 Arguello mean?
A Spanish toponymic surname referring to someone from any of several places named Argüello in Spain. 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 Arguello (2.79 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 Arguello?
Want to know how common the surname Arguello is? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.