2000
#5,224
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,140
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.28
Rare Last name
Arriola
A Basque surname derived from the word "arriola," meaning a place abounding in stones or a stone mill.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 8,971 Americans carry the last name Arriola. That puts it at #4,389 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.62 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 38,207 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Arriola 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
9.0K
1 in 38,207
Census rank
#4,389
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
7.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 7,823 bearers of the surname Arriola in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.62 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4389th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Arriola, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 79.5%. The next largest groups are White (9.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (8.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Arriola
The surname Arriola originates from the Basque region of Spain, dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Basque word "arriola," which means a small stream or brook, suggesting that the name may have been associated with people who lived near a stream or had some connection to water sources.
Arriola is considered a Basque surname, and the Basque Country is located in northern Spain and southwestern France. The name has its roots in this region, where the Basque language and culture have a long and distinct history.
Early records of the Arriola surname can be found in various historical documents from the Basque region, such as parish records, census records, and legal documents. One notable example is the appearance of the name in the "Fueros de Vizcaya," a compilation of laws and customs in the Lordship of Vizcaya, which was part of the Basque Country.
In the 15th century, there are records of individuals with the surname Arriola in the city of Bilbao, which was an important commercial center in the Basque region. Some of the earliest recorded individuals with this surname include Juan de Arriola, a merchant mentioned in documents from the year 1456, and Martín de Arriola, a shipbuilder from the late 15th century.
As the Basque people migrated and settled in various parts of Spain and other countries, the Arriola surname spread to different regions. In the 16th century, there are records of individuals with this surname in the Americas, particularly in Mexico and Peru, where Basque settlers played a significant role in the Spanish colonization efforts.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals with the Arriola surname. One example is Juan de Arriola y Brun (1689-1768), a Spanish military officer and governor of Havana, Cuba, during the 18th century. Another prominent figure was Joaquín de Arriola (1805-1886), a Mexican lawyer and politician who served as the governor of Jalisco state.
Other notable individuals include Jesús Arriola (1879-1948), a Spanish painter and illustrator known for his works depicting traditional Basque life, and Guillermo Arriola (1902-1997), a Mexican journalist and writer who founded the influential newspaper "El Día" in Mexico City.
Overall, the surname Arriola has a rich history rooted in the Basque region of Spain, where it originated and evolved over centuries. Its connection to the Basque language and culture, as well as its presence in various historical records and the lives of notable individuals, make it a distinctive and significant surname with a strong cultural heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Arriola
Among Census respondents with the surname Arriola, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 79.5%. The next largest groups are White (9.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (8.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Arriola 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 Arriola surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino79.5% · 6,218
- White9.2% · 720
- Asian and Pacific Islander8.9% · 696
- Two or more races1.1% · 84
- Black or African American0.8% · 66
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 39
Timeline
Historical Census data for Arriola
Arriola 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
#4,503
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,877
+1,737 bearers (+28.3%)
Per 100,000 2.67
Rank movement Up 721 places
2020
#4,389
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,823
-54 bearers (-0.7%)
Per 100,000 2.62
Rank movement Up 114 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,224 | 6,140 | 2.28 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,503 | 7,877 | 2.67 | +1,737 bearers (+28.3%) | Up 721 places |
| 2020 | #4,389 | 7,823 | 2.62 | -54 bearers (-0.7%) | Up 114 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 Arriola 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 | #4,503 | #4,389 | 2.5% |
| Count | 7,877 | 7,823 | -0.7% |
| Per 100K | 2.67 | 2.62 | -2.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Arriola bearers went from 7,877 to 7,823 (-0.7% change). The surname moved up 114 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,503 to #4,389.
FAQ
Arriola surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Arriola?
Name Census estimates that about 8,971 living Americans carry the surname Arriola. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 38,207 residents.
How common is Arriola?
Arriola ranks #4,389 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.62 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 7,823 people with the surname Arriola. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (8,971), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.62 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.62 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 Arriola.
Has Arriola become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Arriola went from 7,877 recorded bearers to 7,823. That is a decrease of 54 (-0.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #4,503 to #4,389.
What does the Census say about the background of Arriola?
Among Census respondents with the surname Arriola, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 79.5%. The next largest groups are White (9.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (8.9%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Arriola in the 2020 Census, accounting for 79.5% (6,218 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Arriola appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (79.5%), White (9.2%), Asian/Pacific Islander (8.9%). 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 Arriola (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 Arriola mean?
A Basque surname derived from the word "arriola," meaning a place abounding in stones or a stone mill. 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 Arriola (2.62 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 Arriola?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.