2010
#153,769
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Avile
A locational surname derived from the word "aville" meaning a town or village.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 134 Americans carry the last name Avile. That puts it at #144,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,557,868 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Avile 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
134
1 in 2,557,868
Census rank
#144,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
117
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 117 bearers of the surname Avile in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 144270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Avile, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 88.9%. The next largest groups are White (8.5%) and Black (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Avile
The surname Avile has its origins in Spain and can be traced back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Spanish word "avila," which refers to the city of Avila in the Castile and Leon region of Spain. The name may have been adopted by individuals who either lived in or were associated with this city.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Avile can be found in the Codex Calixtinus, a 12th-century manuscript that contains records of pilgrimages to Santiago de Compostela. This document mentions a certain Pedro de Avile, who was likely a merchant or traveler from the city of Avila.
During the 15th century, the surname Avile gained prominence when Juan de Avile, a Spanish navigator and explorer, led several expeditions to the Americas. He was born in Avila around 1460 and is credited with being one of the first Europeans to explore the Gulf of Mexico and the coasts of Florida.
In the 16th century, the Avile family played a significant role in the conquest and colonization of the Americas. Álvaro de Avile, born in Avila in 1520, was a Spanish conquistador who accompanied Hernán Cortés in the conquest of Mexico. He later became a prominent figure in the Spanish colonization of Central America.
Another notable figure with the surname Avile was Tomás de Avile, a Spanish soldier and colonial administrator who was born in Avila in 1570. He served as the governor of the Philippines from 1609 to 1616 and played a crucial role in the consolidation of Spanish rule in the archipelago.
The surname Avile has also been associated with several place names and historical locations in Spain. For instance, the town of Aviles in Asturias is believed to have derived its name from the surname, suggesting a connection between the two. Additionally, there are records of the surname being spelled as Ávila or Dávila in various historical documents.
Throughout history, several other individuals bearing the surname Avile have made significant contributions in various fields, such as literature, art, and politics. However, it is important to note that this report focuses exclusively on the historical origins and significance of the surname itself, without delving into recent census data or modern-day usage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Avile
Among Census respondents with the surname Avile, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 88.9%. The next largest groups are White (8.5%) and Black (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Avile 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 Avile surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino88.9% · 104
- White8.5% · 10
- Black or African American1.7% · 2
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Avile
Avile 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
#144,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
+11 bearers (+10.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 9,499 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #153,769 | 106 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #144,270 | 117 | 0.04 | +11 bearers (+10.4%) | Up 9,499 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 Avile 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 | #153,769 | #144,270 | 6.2% |
| Count | 106 | 117 | 10.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -2.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Avile bearers went from 106 to 117 (+10.4% change). The surname moved up 9,499 positions in the national ranking, going from #153,769 to #144,270.
FAQ
Avile surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Avile?
Name Census estimates that about 134 living Americans carry the surname Avile. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,557,868 residents.
How common is Avile?
Avile ranks #144,270 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 117 people with the surname Avile. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (134), 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 Avile.
Has Avile become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Avile went from 106 recorded bearers to 117. That is an increase of 11 (+10.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #153,769 to #144,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Avile?
Among Census respondents with the surname Avile, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 88.9%. The next largest groups are White (8.5%) and Black (1.7%). 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 Avile in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.9% (104 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Avile appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (88.9%), White (8.5%), Black (1.7%). 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 Avile (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 Avile mean?
A locational surname derived from the word "aville" meaning a town or village. 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 Avile (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 common is the surname Avile?
Want to know how common the surname Avile is? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.