2010
#150,452
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Aulestia
An occupational surname derived from the word "aula" meaning "palace" or "court" in Spanish.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 117 Americans carry the last name Aulestia. That puts it at #154,755 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,929,524 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Aulestia 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
117
1 in 2,929,524
Census rank
#154,755
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
102
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 102 bearers of the surname Aulestia in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154755th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Aulestia, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 72.5%. The next largest groups are White (23.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Aulestia
The surname Aulestia has its origins in the Basque region of Spain and France, dating back to the early medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Basque words "aule," meaning "valley," and "isti," which means "place or village." Thus, the name Aulestia likely referred to someone who resided in a specific valley or village.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Aulestia can be found in the Cartulario de San Millán de la Cogolla, a 12th-century Castilian manuscript that preserved historical documents from the region. This suggests that the name was already in use by that time.
In the 14th century, a notable figure named Juan de Aulestia was mentioned in historical records as a prominent landowner in the Basque region. His descendants continued to use the surname, contributing to its spread and recognition.
During the 16th century, a famous poet and playwright named Pedro de Aulestia gained significant recognition for his works, which shed light on the cultural and literary traditions of the Basque people. He was born in the village of Aulestia in 1522 and passed away in 1596.
Another notable individual with the surname Aulestia was María de Aulestia, a 17th-century benefactor who donated a substantial sum of money to establish a hospital for the poor in her hometown. Her philanthropic efforts left a lasting impact on the local community.
In the 18th century, a military commander named Joaquín de Aulestia played a crucial role in the Spanish War of Succession, leading troops in several crucial battles against the French forces. His bravery and strategic prowess were widely recognized during his lifetime, which spanned from 1678 to 1745.
Over the centuries, the name Aulestia has evolved and been adapted to various regional dialects and spellings, such as Aulestea, Aulestiya, and Aulestea. However, the core meaning and connection to the Basque region have remained consistent throughout its history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Aulestia
Among Census respondents with the surname Aulestia, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 72.5%. The next largest groups are White (23.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Aulestia 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 Aulestia surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino72.5% · 74
- White23.5% · 24
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.9% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Aulestia
Aulestia 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
#154,755
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
-7 bearers (-6.4%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 4,303 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #150,452 | 109 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #154,755 | 102 | 0.03 | -7 bearers (-6.4%) | Down 4,303 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 Aulestia 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 | #150,452 | #154,755 | -2.9% |
| Count | 109 | 102 | -6.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -14.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Aulestia bearers went from 109 to 102 (-6.4% change). The surname moved down 4,303 positions in the national ranking, going from #150,452 to #154,755.
FAQ
Aulestia surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Aulestia?
Name Census estimates that about 117 living Americans carry the surname Aulestia. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,929,524 residents.
How common is Aulestia?
Aulestia ranks #154,755 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 102 people with the surname Aulestia. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (117), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Aulestia.
Has Aulestia become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Aulestia went from 109 recorded bearers to 102. That is a decrease of 7 (-6.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #150,452 to #154,755.
What does the Census say about the background of Aulestia?
Among Census respondents with the surname Aulestia, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 72.5%. The next largest groups are White (23.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.9%). 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 Aulestia in the 2020 Census, accounting for 72.5% (74 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Aulestia appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (72.5%), White (23.5%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.9%). 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 Aulestia (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 Aulestia mean?
An occupational surname derived from the word "aula" meaning "palace" or "court" in Spanish. 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 Aulestia (0.03 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 surname Aulestia?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.