2000
#2,598
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,765
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.73
Uncommon Last name
Arriaga
A Basque topographic surname indicating someone from the town of Arriaga or a place with a stone bridge.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 20,559 Americans carry the last name Arriaga. That puts it at #1,966 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 6.00 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 16,672 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Arriaga 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
21K
1 in 16,672
Census rank
#1,966
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
6.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
18K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 17,928 bearers of the surname Arriaga in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 6.00 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1966th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Arriaga, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 94.6%. The next largest groups are White (4.4%) and Two or More Races (0.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Arriaga
The surname Arriaga is of Basque origin, hailing from the northern regions of Spain and parts of France. The name's etymology can be traced back to the 11th century and is believed to have derived from the Basque word "arriaga," which translates to "stony place" or "rocky area."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Arriaga surname can be found in the Becerro Galicano de Villas de Castilla, a medieval manuscript from the 14th century that documented the nobility and prominent families of the Kingdom of Castile. This suggests that the Arriaga lineage had established itself as a distinguished family by that time.
In the 15th century, the Arriaga name appeared in various historical documents, including the Codex Calixtinus, a medieval manuscript that recorded the traditions and history of the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage route. This connection implies that members of the Arriaga family may have been involved in or associated with this significant religious and cultural phenomenon.
The surname Arriaga has also been linked to several notable individuals throughout history. One such figure was Juan de Arriaga (1570-1638), a Spanish military engineer and architect who served under King Philip III of Spain. He was renowned for his fortification designs and played a crucial role in the construction of numerous defensive structures along the Spanish borders.
Another prominent bearer of the Arriaga name was Juan Crisóstomo de Arriaga (1806-1826), a Spanish composer and violinist who is considered one of the most important musical prodigies in history. Despite his tragically short life, he composed numerous works, including several symphonies and operas, and his musical talents were celebrated throughout Europe.
In the 19th century, Rodrigo Arriaga (1858-1923) was a Mexican lawyer, politician, and diplomat who served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs for Mexico from 1911 to 1913. He played a significant role in shaping Mexico's foreign policy during a tumultuous period of the country's history.
The Arriaga surname has also been associated with various place names in Spain and the Basque Country. For instance, the town of Arriaga in the province of Álava, Spain, likely derived its name from the surname, suggesting the presence of an Arriaga family in that region.
Throughout its long history, the Arriaga surname has maintained a strong connection to its Basque roots and has been carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds, including military figures, artists, politicians, and diplomats, leaving an indelible mark on the cultural and historical tapestry of various regions and nations.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Arriaga
Among Census respondents with the surname Arriaga, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 94.6%. The next largest groups are White (4.4%) and Two or More Races (0.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Arriaga 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 Arriaga surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino94.6% · 16,951
- White4.4% · 789
- Two or more races0.3% · 56
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 55
- Black or African American0.3% · 51
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 26
Timeline
Historical Census data for Arriaga
Arriaga 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
#1,865
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 19,236
+6,471 bearers (+50.7%)
Per 100,000 6.52
Rank movement Up 733 places
2020
#1,966
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 17,928
-1,308 bearers (-6.8%)
Per 100,000 6.00
Rank movement Down 101 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,598 | 12,765 | 4.73 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,865 | 19,236 | 6.52 | +6,471 bearers (+50.7%) | Up 733 places |
| 2020 | #1,966 | 17,928 | 6.00 | -1,308 bearers (-6.8%) | Down 101 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 Arriaga 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 | #1,865 | #1,966 | -5.4% |
| Count | 19,236 | 17,928 | -6.8% |
| Per 100K | 6.52 | 6.00 | -8.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Arriaga bearers went from 19,236 to 17,928 (-6.8% change). The surname moved down 101 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,865 to #1,966.
FAQ
Arriaga surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Arriaga?
Name Census estimates that about 20,559 living Americans carry the surname Arriaga. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 16,672 residents.
How common is Arriaga?
Arriaga ranks #1,966 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 6.00 per 100,000 residents, which is about 6 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 17,928 people with the surname Arriaga. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (20,559), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 6 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 6.00 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 6 of them to have the surname Arriaga.
Has Arriaga become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Arriaga went from 19,236 recorded bearers to 17,928. That is a decrease of 1,308 (-6.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,865 to #1,966.
What does the Census say about the background of Arriaga?
Among Census respondents with the surname Arriaga, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 94.6%. The next largest groups are White (4.4%) and Two or More Races (0.3%). 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 Arriaga in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.6% (16,951 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Arriaga appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (94.6%), White (4.4%), Two or More Races (0.3%). 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 Arriaga (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 Arriaga mean?
A Basque topographic surname indicating someone from the town of Arriaga or a place with a stone bridge. 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 Arriaga (6.00 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 Arriaga?
Find out how many people have the surname Arriaga on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.