2000
#4,393
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,465
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.77
Rare Last name
Armijo
A Spanish habitational surname referring to someone from any of several places named Armijo, derived from Latin "armilla" meaning "bracelet."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 9,184 Americans carry the last name Armijo. That puts it at #4,283 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.68 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 37,321 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Armijo 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
9.2K
1 in 37,321
Census rank
#4,283
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
8.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 8,009 bearers of the surname Armijo in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.68 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4283rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Armijo, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 83.8%. The next largest groups are White (11.7%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Armijo
The surname Armijo is of Spanish origin, specifically from the Iberian Peninsula, and can be traced back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Spanish verb "armar," meaning "to arm" or "to equip," combined with the diminutive suffix "-ijo." This suggests that the name may have been initially bestowed upon an armourer or someone involved in the manufacturing or maintenance of weapons and armour.
Armijo is considered a toponymic surname, indicating a connection to a specific place or location. One possible origin lies in the town of Armijo, located in the province of Palencia, in the autonomous community of Castile and León, Spain. It is believed that the earliest bearers of this surname may have hailed from this region or nearby areas.
The earliest recorded instances of the Armijo surname can be found in various historical documents from the 13th and 14th centuries. For example, a certain Juan Armijo is mentioned in the archives of the Kingdom of Aragon, dated around 1280. Additionally, the name appears in the Catalan Fogatge, a census-like record from 1358, indicating its presence in the region of Catalonia during that time.
One notable bearer of the Armijo surname was Diego Armijo, a Spanish explorer and military officer who lived in the late 18th century. He led several expeditions into the southwestern United States and played a crucial role in the exploration and settlement of what is now New Mexico. Another significant figure was Mariano Armijo, a Mexican politician and military leader who served as the governor of the Mexican territory of Santa Fe de Nuevo México from 1827 to 1829.
In the realm of literature, the Spanish playwright and poet Pedro Armijo (1619-1693) is remembered for his contributions to the Spanish Golden Age. His works include various plays and poems, some of which were performed at the court of King Philip IV.
Another noteworthy individual was Fray Antonio Armijo, a Spanish Franciscan friar who lived in the 17th century. He was instrumental in establishing missions and spreading Christianity among the Native American populations in what is now New Mexico and Arizona.
During the colonial era, the Armijo surname also gained prominence in Latin America, particularly in areas that were under Spanish rule. For instance, José Armijo y Ibarrola (1768-1834) was a Mexican military officer and politician who served as the governor of the State of Mexico from 1827 to 1832.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Armijo
Among Census respondents with the surname Armijo, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 83.8%. The next largest groups are White (11.7%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Armijo 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 Armijo surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino83.8% · 6,712
- White11.7% · 936
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.6% · 206
- Two or more races1.1% · 86
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 50
- Black or African American0.2% · 19
Timeline
Historical Census data for Armijo
Armijo 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
#4,232
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,372
+907 bearers (+12.2%)
Per 100,000 2.84
Rank movement Up 161 places
2020
#4,283
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,009
-363 bearers (-4.3%)
Per 100,000 2.68
Rank movement Down 51 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,393 | 7,465 | 2.77 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,232 | 8,372 | 2.84 | +907 bearers (+12.2%) | Up 161 places |
| 2020 | #4,283 | 8,009 | 2.68 | -363 bearers (-4.3%) | Down 51 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 Armijo 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 | #4,232 | #4,283 | -1.2% |
| Count | 8,372 | 8,009 | -4.3% |
| Per 100K | 2.84 | 2.68 | -5.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Armijo bearers went from 8,372 to 8,009 (-4.3% change). The surname moved down 51 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,232 to #4,283.
FAQ
Armijo surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Armijo?
Name Census estimates that about 9,184 living Americans carry the surname Armijo. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 37,321 residents.
How common is Armijo?
Armijo ranks #4,283 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.68 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 8,009 people with the surname Armijo. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (9,184), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.68 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.68 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 Armijo.
Has Armijo become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Armijo went from 8,372 recorded bearers to 8,009. That is a decrease of 363 (-4.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,232 to #4,283.
What does the Census say about the background of Armijo?
Among Census respondents with the surname Armijo, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 83.8%. The next largest groups are White (11.7%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (2.6%). 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 Armijo in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.8% (6,712 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Armijo appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (83.8%), White (11.7%), American Indian/Alaska Native (2.6%). 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 Armijo (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 Armijo mean?
A Spanish habitational surname referring to someone from any of several places named Armijo, derived from Latin "armilla" meaning "bracelet." 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 Armijo (2.68 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 Americans have the surname Armijo?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.