2000
#6,249
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,034
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.87
Rare Last name
Avelar
A habitational surname derived from a place name, likely referring to a person from Avelar, Portugal.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 8,692 Americans carry the last name Avelar. That puts it at #4,545 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.54 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 39,433 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Avelar 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
8.7K
1 in 39,433
Census rank
#4,545
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
7.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 7,580 bearers of the surname Avelar in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.54 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4545th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Avelar, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 90.8%. The next largest groups are White (8.0%) and Two or More Races (0.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Avelar
The surname Avelar has its roots in the Iberian Peninsula, particularly in Portugal and Spain. It is believed to have originated during the Middle Ages, derived from the Latin word "avellanarius," which means "hazelnut tree." This suggests that the name was likely associated with individuals who lived near or worked with hazelnut trees.
One of the earliest records of the name can be found in the "Livro Velho de Linhagens" (Old Book of Lineages), a Portuguese genealogical manuscript from the 13th century. The name appears as "Avelaar," a variant spelling commonly used during that time.
In the 15th century, the surname Avelar is mentioned in the chronicles of the Portuguese conquest of Ceuta, a city located in present-day Morocco. This indicates that individuals bearing this name participated in the military campaigns and expeditions of the Portuguese Crown during the Age of Discoveries.
One notable individual with the surname Avelar was Gaspar de Avelar, a Portuguese explorer who was part of the expedition led by Pedro Álvares Cabral, which discovered Brazil in 1500. Gaspar de Avelar played a crucial role in the early exploration and mapping of the Brazilian coastline.
Another significant figure was Manuel de Avelar, a Portuguese nobleman and military commander who lived during the 16th century. He was involved in the Portuguese conquest of the Moluccas Islands in present-day Indonesia and served as the governor of the Ternate Sultanate from 1551 to 1552.
In Spain, the surname Avelar is also found in historical records, particularly in the regions of Andalusia and Extremadura. One notable individual was Pedro de Avelar, a Spanish military commander who participated in the conquest of Granada in the late 15th century, during the final stages of the Reconquista.
During the colonial era, individuals with the surname Avelar were among the early settlers and explorers who ventured to the Americas, particularly to Brazil and Spanish colonies in the New World. This contributed to the further spread and establishment of the name in those regions.
It is worth noting that the surname Avelar may have variations in spelling, such as Avellar, Avellano, or Avellana, depending on the region and language. Additionally, some historical records may include place names or locations associated with the surname, such as Avelar de Cima (Upper Avelar) or Avelar de Baixo (Lower Avelar), which were likely villages or settlements where individuals with this name resided.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Avelar
Among Census respondents with the surname Avelar, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 90.8%. The next largest groups are White (8.0%) and Two or More Races (0.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Avelar 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 Avelar surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino90.8% · 6,886
- White8.0% · 605
- Two or more races0.4% · 33
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 21
- Black or African American0.3% · 20
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 15
Timeline
Historical Census data for Avelar
Avelar 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
#4,692
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,564
+2,530 bearers (+50.3%)
Per 100,000 2.56
Rank movement Up 1,557 places
2020
#4,545
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,580
+16 bearers (+0.2%)
Per 100,000 2.54
Rank movement Up 147 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,249 | 5,034 | 1.87 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,692 | 7,564 | 2.56 | +2,530 bearers (+50.3%) | Up 1,557 places |
| 2020 | #4,545 | 7,580 | 2.54 | +16 bearers (+0.2%) | Up 147 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 Avelar 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 | #4,692 | #4,545 | 3.1% |
| Count | 7,564 | 7,580 | 0.2% |
| Per 100K | 2.56 | 2.54 | -0.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Avelar bearers went from 7,564 to 7,580 (+0.2% change). The surname moved up 147 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,692 to #4,545.
FAQ
Avelar surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Avelar?
Name Census estimates that about 8,692 living Americans carry the surname Avelar. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 39,433 residents.
How common is Avelar?
Avelar ranks #4,545 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.54 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 7,580 people with the surname Avelar. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (8,692), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.54 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.54 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 Avelar.
Has Avelar become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Avelar went from 7,564 recorded bearers to 7,580. That is an increase of 16 (+0.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #4,692 to #4,545.
What does the Census say about the background of Avelar?
Among Census respondents with the surname Avelar, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 90.8%. The next largest groups are White (8.0%) and Two or More Races (0.4%). 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 Avelar in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.8% (6,886 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Avelar appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (90.8%), White (8.0%), Two or More Races (0.4%). 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 Avelar (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 Avelar mean?
A habitational surname derived from a place name, likely referring to a person from Avelar, Portugal. 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 Avelar (2.54 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 Avelar?
If you just want to know how many people have the surname Avelar, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.