2010
#150,452
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Erra
A surname possibly derived from a place name in Spain or Italy.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 136 Americans carry the last name Erra. That puts it at #142,788 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,520,252 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Erra 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
136
1 in 2,520,252
Census rank
#142,788
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
119
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 119 bearers of the surname Erra in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142788th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Erra, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 56.3%. The next largest groups are White (31.1%) and Hispanic (10.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Erra
The surname Erra is believed to have originated from the northern region of Spain, particularly in the Basque Country and the neighboring areas of Navarre and Aragon. Its roots can be traced back to the early medieval period, around the 8th to 10th centuries.
One possible origin of the name Erra is derived from the Basque word "erre," which means "to burn" or "to set on fire." This connection suggests that the surname may have been initially associated with professions or activities related to fire, such as blacksmiths, glassmakers, or charcoal burners.
Another theory suggests that the name Erra could be linked to the ancient Iberian language, which predates the arrival of the Romans in the region. The word "erra" in Iberian may have referred to a geographic feature or a specific location, potentially a village or settlement where the name originated.
Early records mentioning individuals with the surname Erra are scarce, as documentation from that era is limited. However, one notable reference can be found in the "Cartulario de San Millán de la Cogolla," a medieval manuscript dating back to the 11th century, which contains a record of a person named "Enneco Erra" from the village of Albelda in La Rioja.
The earliest known person of prominence bearing the surname Erra was Juan Erra, a Basque nobleman and military commander who lived in the late 14th century. He played a significant role in the conflicts between the Kingdom of Navarre and the Crown of Aragon during that period.
In the 15th century, Pedro Erra, a prominent scholar and churchman, served as the Bishop of Calahorra and La Calzada from 1447 to 1470. He was known for his contributions to the city's religious and cultural life.
During the 16th century, Martín Erra (1510-1578) was a renowned sculptor and architect from Navarre. He was responsible for the design and construction of several churches and religious buildings in the region, including the Church of Santa María la Real in Olite.
In the 17th century, Catalina Erra (1635-1705) was a notable figure in the history of Navarre. She was a wealthy landowner and philanthropist who donated substantial funds for the establishment of schools and hospitals in her hometown of Tafalla.
Lastly, in the 19th century, Juan Bautista Erra (1820-1890) was a prominent Basque poet and writer. He was known for his works in the Basque language, which helped preserve and promote the region's cultural heritage during that time.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Erra
Among Census respondents with the surname Erra, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 56.3%. The next largest groups are White (31.1%) and Hispanic (10.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Erra 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 Erra surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander56.3% · 67
- White31.1% · 37
- Hispanic or Latino10.1% · 12
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.7% · 2
- Two or more races0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Erra
Erra 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
#142,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
+10 bearers (+9.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 7,664 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 | #142,788 | 119 | 0.04 | +10 bearers (+9.2%) | Up 7,664 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 Erra 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 | #142,788 | 5.1% |
| Count | 109 | 119 | 9.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -0.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Erra bearers went from 109 to 119 (+9.2% change). The surname moved up 7,664 positions in the national ranking, going from #150,452 to #142,788.
FAQ
Erra surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Erra?
Name Census estimates that about 136 living Americans carry the surname Erra. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,520,252 residents.
How common is Erra?
Erra ranks #142,788 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 119 people with the surname Erra. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (136), 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 Erra.
Has Erra become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Erra went from 109 recorded bearers to 119. That is an increase of 10 (+9.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #150,452 to #142,788.
What does the Census say about the background of Erra?
Among Census respondents with the surname Erra, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 56.3%. The next largest groups are White (31.1%) and Hispanic (10.1%). 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Erra in the 2020 Census, accounting for 56.3% (67 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Erra appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (56.3%), White (31.1%), Hispanic (10.1%). 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 Erra (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 Erra mean?
A surname possibly derived from a place name in Spain or Italy. 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 Erra (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 many people have the surname Erra?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.