2000
#14,823
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,835
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.68
Rare Last name
Atilano
A Spanish surname derived from the Latin name "Attilus," meaning "man of Attila" or "little Attila."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,956 Americans carry the last name Atilano. That puts it at #11,641 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.86 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 115,952 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Atilano 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
3.0K
1 in 115,952
Census rank
#11,641
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,578 bearers of the surname Atilano in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.86 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11641st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Atilano, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 90.4%. The next largest groups are White (5.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Atilano
The surname Atilano has its origins in Spain, dating back to the 8th century during the Moorish occupation of the Iberian Peninsula. It is believed to be derived from the Germanic name "Athalwin" or "Athalwine," which means "noble friend" or "friend of the nobility."
One of the earliest known references to the name Atilano can be found in the Codex Calixtinus, a 12th-century manuscript that documents the pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela. In this text, a nobleman named Atilano de Compostela is mentioned as a benefactor of the church.
During the Middle Ages, the name Atilano was particularly prevalent in the regions of Castile and León. It is also possible that the name has ties to the town of Atilano, located in the province of Segovia, although the exact connection between the surname and the town is unclear.
In the 14th century, a prominent figure named Atilano de Guzmán was a nobleman and military commander who served under King Alfonso XI of Castile. He played a crucial role in the battles against the Moors during the Reconquista.
Another notable figure with the surname Atilano was Fray Atilano Chavez, a Spanish missionary who traveled to the Americas in the 16th century. He was instrumental in the establishment of missions and the conversion of indigenous populations to Christianity in what is now Mexico.
In the 17th century, Atilano Martínez de Isunza was a Spanish explorer and cartographer who contributed significantly to the mapping of the American Southwest and parts of present-day California.
During the 19th century, Atilano Rodríguez was a prominent Spanish writer and journalist who championed liberal ideals and advocated for social reforms in Spain.
While the surname Atilano is not as common today as it once was, it still holds a rich historical legacy and a strong connection to the cultural and linguistic heritage of Spain.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Atilano
Among Census respondents with the surname Atilano, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 90.4%. The next largest groups are White (5.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Atilano 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 Atilano surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino90.4% · 2,331
- White5.7% · 147
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.3% · 85
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 6
- Two or more races0.2% · 5
- Black or African American0.2% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Atilano
Atilano 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
#11,753
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,665
+830 bearers (+45.2%)
Per 100,000 0.90
Rank movement Up 3,070 places
2020
#11,641
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,578
-87 bearers (-3.3%)
Per 100,000 0.86
Rank movement Up 112 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,823 | 1,835 | 0.68 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,753 | 2,665 | 0.90 | +830 bearers (+45.2%) | Up 3,070 places |
| 2020 | #11,641 | 2,578 | 0.86 | -87 bearers (-3.3%) | Up 112 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 Atilano 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 | #11,753 | #11,641 | 1.0% |
| Count | 2,665 | 2,578 | -3.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.90 | 0.86 | -4.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Atilano bearers went from 2,665 to 2,578 (-3.3% change). The surname moved up 112 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,753 to #11,641.
FAQ
Atilano surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Atilano?
Name Census estimates that about 2,956 living Americans carry the surname Atilano. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 115,952 residents.
How common is Atilano?
Atilano ranks #11,641 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.86 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,578 people with the surname Atilano. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,956), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.86 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.86 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Atilano.
Has Atilano become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Atilano went from 2,665 recorded bearers to 2,578. That is a decrease of 87 (-3.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #11,753 to #11,641.
What does the Census say about the background of Atilano?
Among Census respondents with the surname Atilano, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 90.4%. The next largest groups are White (5.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.3%). 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 Atilano in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.4% (2,331 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Atilano appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (90.4%), White (5.7%), Asian/Pacific Islander (3.3%). 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 Atilano (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 Atilano mean?
A Spanish surname derived from the Latin name "Attilus," meaning "man of Attila" or "little Attila." 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 Atilano (0.86 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 share the surname Atilano?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.