2000
#6,034
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,247
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.95
Rare Last name
Favela
A Portuguese topographic surname referring to someone who lived in a shanty town or slum.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 8,467 Americans carry the last name Favela. That puts it at #4,653 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.47 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 40,481 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Favela 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
8.5K
1 in 40,481
Census rank
#4,653
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
7.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 7,384 bearers of the surname Favela in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.47 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4653rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Favela, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 95.7%. The next largest groups are White (3.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Favela
The surname "FAVELA" is of Brazilian origin and can be traced back to the late 19th century. It is derived from the Portuguese word "favela," which refers to a hillside shantytown or informal urban settlement. The name is closely associated with the Morro da Favela, a hill in Rio de Janeiro, where the first favela community emerged in the late 1800s.
One of the earliest recorded uses of the surname "FAVELA" can be found in the municipal records of Rio de Janeiro from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. These records documented the growth of the Morro da Favela community and the families who resided there. The name likely originated as a way to identify individuals who were living in or associated with this particular favela settlement.
While the surname "FAVELA" is predominantly found in Brazil, it has also been recorded in other Portuguese-speaking countries, such as Portugal and Angola, likely due to migration patterns and the historical connections between these nations. Some notable individuals with the surname "FAVELA" include:
1. Joao Favela (1877-1946), a Brazilian writer and journalist who documented life in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro.
2. Maria Favela (1905-1988), a Brazilian social activist and community leader who fought for better living conditions in the favelas.
3. Pedro Favela (1920-2002), a Brazilian painter known for his vibrant depictions of favela life and landscapes.
4. Felicia Favela (1935-2018), a Portuguese-Brazilian artist and sculptor whose works were influenced by the favela communities.
5. Ricardo Favela (born 1972), a contemporary Brazilian author and playwright who has written extensively about the experiences of favela residents.
Throughout its history, the surname "FAVELA" has been closely intertwined with the social and cultural fabric of these informal urban settlements in Brazil. While initially associated with poverty and marginalization, the name has also come to represent resilience, community, and the rich cultural heritage of the favela residents.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Favela
Among Census respondents with the surname Favela, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 95.7%. The next largest groups are White (3.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Favela 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 Favela surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino95.7% · 7,063
- White3.5% · 258
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 21
- Two or more races0.2% · 17
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 14
- Black or African American0.1% · 11
Timeline
Historical Census data for Favela
Favela 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
#4,761
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,439
+2,192 bearers (+41.8%)
Per 100,000 2.52
Rank movement Up 1,273 places
2020
#4,653
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,384
-55 bearers (-0.7%)
Per 100,000 2.47
Rank movement Up 108 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,034 | 5,247 | 1.95 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,761 | 7,439 | 2.52 | +2,192 bearers (+41.8%) | Up 1,273 places |
| 2020 | #4,653 | 7,384 | 2.47 | -55 bearers (-0.7%) | Up 108 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 Favela 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 | #4,761 | #4,653 | 2.3% |
| Count | 7,439 | 7,384 | -0.7% |
| Per 100K | 2.52 | 2.47 | -2.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Favela bearers went from 7,439 to 7,384 (-0.7% change). The surname moved up 108 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,761 to #4,653.
FAQ
Favela surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Favela?
Name Census estimates that about 8,467 living Americans carry the surname Favela. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 40,481 residents.
How common is Favela?
Favela ranks #4,653 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.47 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 7,384 people with the surname Favela. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (8,467), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.47 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.47 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 Favela.
Has Favela become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Favela went from 7,439 recorded bearers to 7,384. That is a decrease of 55 (-0.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #4,761 to #4,653.
What does the Census say about the background of Favela?
Among Census respondents with the surname Favela, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 95.7%. The next largest groups are White (3.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.3%). 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 Favela in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.7% (7,063 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Favela appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (95.7%), White (3.5%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.3%). 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 Favela (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 Favela mean?
A Portuguese topographic surname referring to someone who lived in a shanty town or slum. 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 Favela (2.47 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 Favela?
You can see how many people are called Favela on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.