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Very Rare Last name

Fabila

A Spanish surname derived from the Latin word "fabula" meaning "fable" or "story".

According to the 2010 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 480 Americans carry the last name Fabila. That puts it at #49,999 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.14 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 714,072 residents).

This page is the full Name Census profile for the Fabila surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, 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

480

1 in 714,072

Census rank

#49,999

2010 decennial data

Per 100,000

0.1

Frequency rate

Recorded bearers

419

very rare in the US

Popularity narrative

The Census Bureau recorded 419 bearers of the surname Fabila in its 2010 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.14 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 49999th position in the national surname ranking.

Among Census respondents with the surname Fabila, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 81.9%. The next largest groups are White (8.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (7.2%).

Origin

Meaning and origin of Fabila

The surname Fabila is of Spanish origin, deriving from the Latin word "fabula," which means "story" or "tale." It is believed to have originated in the region of Castile in central Spain during the medieval period.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Fabila surname can be found in the Becerro de Behetrias, a medieval census document from the 14th century, where it is listed as a family name in the town of Villaverde-Mogina, near Burgos.

The name Fabila is thought to have been initially bestowed upon individuals who were known for their storytelling abilities or perhaps worked as minstrels or performers of some kind. Over time, it transitioned into a hereditary family name.

In the 16th century, a notable figure bearing the Fabila surname was Juan Fabila, a Spanish conquistador who accompanied Hernán Cortés in the conquest of Mexico. He later settled in the region of Jalisco and established one of the first Spanish settlements there.

Another historical figure with the Fabila name was Pedro Fabila, a 17th-century Spanish dramatist and poet from Madrid, best known for his plays and literary contributions to the Spanish Golden Age.

In the 18th century, there was a prominent Fabila family in the city of Cádiz, involved in maritime trade and commerce. One member, Rodrigo Fabila, was a successful merchant and shipowner.

During the 19th century, a notable bearer of the Fabila surname was José Fabila, a Mexican politician and lawyer who served as a senator and played a role in the Reform War of the 1850s.

Lastly, in the 20th century, Manuel Fabila was a Mexican diplomat and politician who served as the Secretary of Foreign Affairs during the Mexican Revolution in the early 1900s.

While the Fabila surname is more commonly found in Spain and Mexico, it has also spread to other parts of Latin America and beyond due to migration and diaspora over the centuries.

Demographics

Ancestry and ethnicity for Fabila

Among Census respondents with the surname Fabila, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 81.9%. The next largest groups are White (8.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (7.2%).

The bar chart below shows how Fabila bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2010 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.

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 Fabila surname at the time of the 2010 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.

  • Hispanic or Latino81.9%
  • White8.8%
  • Asian and Pacific Islander7.2%
  • Two or more races1.2%
  • Unknown or suppressed1.0%

Year on year

2000 vs 2010 Census

How has the Fabila surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.

Census year comparison

20002010
Bearer countPer 100,000 residents20002010200020103864190.10.1
Metric 2000 2010 Change
Rank #50,801 #49,999 1.6%
Count 386 419 8.5%
Per 100K 0.14 0.14 0.0%

Between the 2000 and 2010 Census, the number of Fabila bearers went from 386 to 419 (+8.5% change). The surname moved up 802 positions in the national ranking, going from #50,801 to #49,999.

FAQ

Fabila surname: questions and answers

How common is the last name Fabila?

The surname Fabila holds position #49,999 in the US Census Bureau's surname ranking, with an estimated 480 living bearers. It occurs at a rate of 0.14 per 100,000 Americans.

What is the ethnic background of the Fabila surname?

Among Census respondents with the surname Fabila, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 81.9%. The next largest groups are White (8.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (7.2%). These figures come from the 2010 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.

Where does this surname data come from?

All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These tables list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2010 Census, along with a frequency rate and self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.

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There are 480 people

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Fabila

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