2000
#11,626
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,477
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.92
Rare Last name
Avilez
A locational surname derived from the town of Avilés in Asturias, Spain, likely indicating ancestral origins there.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,301 Americans carry the last name Avilez. That puts it at #8,451 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.25 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 79,692 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Avilez 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
4.3K
1 in 79,692
Census rank
#8,451
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,751 bearers of the surname Avilez in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.25 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8451st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Avilez, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 91.7%. The next largest groups are White (4.6%) and Black (2.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Avilez
The surname Avilez originated in Spain during the medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Spanish word "avil," which means "skillful" or "capable." This suggests that the name may have been initially given to someone who possessed a particular skill or talent.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Avilez can be found in the "Libro de la Montería" (Book of the Hunt), a 14th-century manuscript detailing hunting expeditions in Spain. It mentions a nobleman named Gonzalo Avilez who participated in a royal hunt organized by King Alfonso XI in the 1340s.
In the 15th century, the name Avilez appeared in various historical records from the region of Castile, particularly in the city of Burgos. One notable individual was Pedro Avilez, a merchant and landowner born in 1472, who played a significant role in the local economy and politics of Burgos during that period.
The surname Avilez also has connections to the Spanish conquest of the Americas. Juan Avilez, born in 1505 in Seville, was a Spanish explorer and soldier who accompanied Hernán Cortés on his expedition to conquer Mexico in the 1520s. He is mentioned in several accounts of the conquest, including Bernal Díaz del Castillo's "Historia verdadera de la conquista de la Nueva España" (True History of the Conquest of New Spain).
In the 17th century, the name Avilez was associated with the Spanish nobility. Diego Avilez y Guzmán, born in 1625 in Seville, was a prominent military leader and diplomat who served as the Spanish ambassador to England during the reign of King Charles II.
Another notable figure was María Avilez, a nun and writer born in 1670 in Granada. She wrote several religious texts and was known for her mystical visions and spiritual teachings, which gained her a following among the faithful in her time.
Throughout history, the surname Avilez has undergone various spellings and variations, such as Abilez, Avilas, and Avilés, reflecting regional differences and the evolution of the Spanish language over time.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Avilez
Among Census respondents with the surname Avilez, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 91.7%. The next largest groups are White (4.6%) and Black (2.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Avilez 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 Avilez surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino91.7% · 3,438
- White4.6% · 174
- Black or African American2.1% · 78
- Two or more races0.8% · 31
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 19
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 11
Timeline
Historical Census data for Avilez
Avilez 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
#8,705
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,771
+1,294 bearers (+52.2%)
Per 100,000 1.28
Rank movement Up 2,921 places
2020
#8,451
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,751
-20 bearers (-0.5%)
Per 100,000 1.25
Rank movement Up 254 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,626 | 2,477 | 0.92 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,705 | 3,771 | 1.28 | +1,294 bearers (+52.2%) | Up 2,921 places |
| 2020 | #8,451 | 3,751 | 1.25 | -20 bearers (-0.5%) | Up 254 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 Avilez 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 | #8,705 | #8,451 | 2.9% |
| Count | 3,771 | 3,751 | -0.5% |
| Per 100K | 1.28 | 1.25 | -2.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Avilez bearers went from 3,771 to 3,751 (-0.5% change). The surname moved up 254 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,705 to #8,451.
FAQ
Avilez surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Avilez?
Name Census estimates that about 4,301 living Americans carry the surname Avilez. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 79,692 residents.
How common is Avilez?
Avilez ranks #8,451 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.25 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 3,751 people with the surname Avilez. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,301), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.25 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.25 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 Avilez.
Has Avilez become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Avilez went from 3,771 recorded bearers to 3,751. That is a decrease of 20 (-0.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #8,705 to #8,451.
What does the Census say about the background of Avilez?
Among Census respondents with the surname Avilez, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 91.7%. The next largest groups are White (4.6%) and Black (2.1%). 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 Avilez in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.7% (3,438 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Avilez appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (91.7%), White (4.6%), Black (2.1%). 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 Avilez (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 Avilez mean?
A locational surname derived from the town of Avilés in Asturias, Spain, likely indicating ancestral origins there. 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 Avilez (1.25 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 are called Avilez?
Want to know how common the surname Avilez is? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.