2010
#129,825
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 131
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Arrubla
A surname of Spanish origin indicating someone coming from or living near an area with abundant brambles.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 131 Americans carry the last name Arrubla. That puts it at #146,495 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,616,445 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Arrubla 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
131
1 in 2,616,445
Census rank
#146,495
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
114
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 114 bearers of the surname Arrubla in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 146495th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Arrubla, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 95.6%. The next largest groups are White (1.8%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Arrubla
The surname Arrubla originated in Colombia, South America, and can be traced back to the 16th century during the Spanish colonization of the region. It is believed to have derived from the Spanish word "arroyo" meaning a small stream or creek, and the suffix "-bla" which may have indicated a location or settlement near such a water source.
One of the earliest documented references to the name Arrubla can be found in the archives of the Spanish colonial administration in the region, where records from the late 16th century mention land grants and property deeds granted to individuals bearing this surname. It is likely that the name was initially associated with families or landowners who resided near a small stream or creek, possibly in the area that is now known as the department of Antioquia.
In the 17th and 18th centuries, the Arrubla name appeared in various historical records and manuscripts related to the colonial administration and ecclesiastical affairs in the region. For instance, Juan de Arrubla (1625-1698) was a prominent landowner and cattle rancher in the Antioquia region during the mid-17th century, and his descendants continued to play significant roles in the local economy and society.
One notable figure with the surname Arrubla was Pedro Arrubla y Muñoz (1769-1845), a Colombian military officer and politician who served as the interim President of Colombia for a brief period in 1831. He played a crucial role in the struggle for independence from Spanish rule and was a prominent figure in the early years of the Colombian republic.
Another individual of historical significance was Gregorio Arrubla y Calvo (1810-1887), a Colombian lawyer, judge, and politician who served as the President of the Supreme Court of Colombia from 1864 to 1865. He was instrumental in shaping the country's legal system and played a pivotal role in the development of Colombian jurisprudence.
José María Arrubla Bedoya (1848-1920) was a renowned Colombian journalist, writer, and educator who founded several educational institutions in the city of Medellín. He was also a prominent figure in the literary and intellectual circles of his time and contributed significantly to the cultural development of the region.
Lastly, Julio Arrubla Cardenas (1910-1990) was a Colombian artist and sculptor who gained international recognition for his works in the modernist style. His sculptures and public art installations can be found in various cities across Colombia and abroad, and he is considered one of the most influential artists of the 20th century in the country.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Arrubla
Among Census respondents with the surname Arrubla, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 95.6%. The next largest groups are White (1.8%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Arrubla 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 Arrubla surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino95.6% · 109
- White1.8% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.8% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Arrubla
Arrubla appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#146,495
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
-17 bearers (-13.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 16,670 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #129,825 | 131 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #146,495 | 114 | 0.04 | -17 bearers (-13.0%) | Down 16,670 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 Arrubla 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 | #129,825 | #146,495 | -12.8% |
| Count | 131 | 114 | -13.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -4.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Arrubla bearers went from 131 to 114 (-13.0% change). The surname moved down 16,670 positions in the national ranking, going from #129,825 to #146,495.
FAQ
Arrubla surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Arrubla?
Name Census estimates that about 131 living Americans carry the surname Arrubla. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,616,445 residents.
How common is Arrubla?
Arrubla ranks #146,495 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 114 people with the surname Arrubla. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (131), 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 Arrubla.
Has Arrubla become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Arrubla went from 131 recorded bearers to 114. That is a decrease of 17 (-13.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #129,825 to #146,495.
What does the Census say about the background of Arrubla?
Among Census respondents with the surname Arrubla, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 95.6%. The next largest groups are White (1.8%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.8%). 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 Arrubla in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.6% (109 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Arrubla appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (95.6%), White (1.8%), American Indian/Alaska Native (1.8%). 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 Arrubla (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 Arrubla mean?
A surname of Spanish origin indicating someone coming from or living near an area with abundant brambles. 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 Arrubla (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 last name Arrubla?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans have the surname Arrubla on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.