2000
#5,974
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,307
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.97
Rare Last name
Azevedo
A Portuguese toponymic surname referring to someone from any of several places named Azevedo, meaning "holly grove".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 7,140 Americans carry the last name Azevedo. That puts it at #5,409 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.08 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 48,005 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Azevedo 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Azevedo with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
7.1K
1 in 48,005
Census rank
#5,409
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,226 bearers of the surname Azevedo in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.08 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5409th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Azevedo, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (14.4%) and Two or More Races (3.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Azevedo
The surname Azevedo has its origins in Portugal and is believed to have emerged in the 12th or 13th century. It is a toponymic name, meaning it is derived from a place name. In this case, the name is thought to come from the Portuguese town of Azevedo, located in the northern region of the country.
The name Azevedo is believed to be a compound word, formed from the Portuguese words "azevinho" meaning "holly tree" and "velho" meaning "old." This suggests that the name may have originated from a place where old holly trees grew or were abundant.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Azevedo can be found in a Portuguese medieval document from the 13th century, where it is spelled "Azevedo." This spelling has remained relatively consistent over the centuries, though variations like "Acevedo" and "Azevido" have also been observed.
In the 15th century, a Portuguese nobleman named Álvaro Gonçalves de Azevedo (c. 1390-1474) gained prominence as a military leader and diplomat during the reign of King Afonso V. He played a significant role in the conquest of Ceuta in 1415 and later served as an ambassador to the court of King Henry VI of England.
Another notable figure with the surname Azevedo was Inácio de Azevedo (1527-1570), a Portuguese Jesuit priest and martyr. He was part of a group known as the Forty Martyrs of Brazil, who were killed by Calvinist pirates while on a missionary voyage to Brazil in 1570.
In the 17th century, Manuel de Azevedo Fortes (1660-1749) was a renowned Portuguese military engineer and architect. He designed several important fortifications and buildings, including the Fortaleza de São João Baptista in Beja, Portugal.
Inocêncio Francisco da Silva Azevedo (1809-1870) was a prominent 19th-century Portuguese writer, critic, and bibliographer. He is best known for his monumental work "Diccionario Bibliographico Portuguez," a comprehensive bibliography of Portuguese literature.
Lastly, José Lúcio Travassos de Azevedo (1866-1958) was a respected Portuguese historian and writer. He is renowned for his extensive research and publications on various aspects of Portuguese history, including the Portuguese Discoveries and the Inquisition.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Azevedo
Among Census respondents with the surname Azevedo, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (14.4%) and Two or More Races (3.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Azevedo 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 Azevedo surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White77.9% · 4,852
- Hispanic or Latino14.4% · 897
- Two or more races3.8% · 234
- Black or African American1.7% · 103
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.6% · 102
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 38
Timeline
Historical Census data for Azevedo
Azevedo 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
#5,762
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,014
+707 bearers (+13.3%)
Per 100,000 2.04
Rank movement Up 212 places
2020
#5,409
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,226
+212 bearers (+3.5%)
Per 100,000 2.08
Rank movement Up 353 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,974 | 5,307 | 1.97 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,762 | 6,014 | 2.04 | +707 bearers (+13.3%) | Up 212 places |
| 2020 | #5,409 | 6,226 | 2.08 | +212 bearers (+3.5%) | Up 353 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 Azevedo 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 | #5,762 | #5,409 | 6.1% |
| Count | 6,014 | 6,226 | 3.5% |
| Per 100K | 2.04 | 2.08 | 2.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Azevedo bearers went from 6,014 to 6,226 (+3.5% change). The surname moved up 353 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,762 to #5,409.
FAQ
Azevedo surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Azevedo?
Name Census estimates that about 7,140 living Americans carry the surname Azevedo. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 48,005 residents.
How common is Azevedo?
Azevedo ranks #5,409 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.08 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 6,226 people with the surname Azevedo. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (7,140), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.08 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.08 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Azevedo.
Has Azevedo become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Azevedo went from 6,014 recorded bearers to 6,226. That is an increase of 212 (+3.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #5,762 to #5,409.
What does the Census say about the background of Azevedo?
Among Census respondents with the surname Azevedo, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (14.4%) and Two or More Races (3.8%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Azevedo in the 2020 Census, accounting for 77.9% (4,852 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Azevedo appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (77.9%), Hispanic (14.4%), Two or More Races (3.8%). 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 Azevedo (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 Azevedo mean?
A Portuguese toponymic surname referring to someone from any of several places named Azevedo, meaning "holly grove". 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 Azevedo (2.08 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 Azevedo?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.