2000
#6,078
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,205
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.93
Rare Last name
Gurrola
A Basque surname derived from the word "gorro," meaning "cap" or "hood," likely referring to a person who wore or made caps.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 7,476 Americans carry the last name Gurrola. That puts it at #5,180 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.18 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 45,847 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gurrola 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
7.5K
1 in 45,847
Census rank
#5,180
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,519 bearers of the surname Gurrola in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.18 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5180th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gurrola, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 93.9%. The next largest groups are White (4.8%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gurrola
The surname Gurrola originates from Spain, likely dating back to the 8th or 9th century during the Moorish occupation of the Iberian Peninsula. It is believed to derive from the Arabic word "ghurra," which means "young falcon" or "young hawk." This suggests that the name may have been initially given to someone who kept falcons or hawks, possibly for hunting or falconry.
The name Gurrola can be traced back to the northern regions of Spain, particularly in the Basque Country and the Navarre region. These areas were heavily influenced by the Arabic culture and language during the Moorish rule, which could explain the adoption of an Arabic-derived surname.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Gurrola surname can be found in the Becerro de las Behetrías, a historical document from the 14th century that documented the feudal landholdings in the Kingdom of Castile. This suggests that the Gurrola family had already established itself as a prominent lineage by that time.
In the 16th century, during the Spanish colonization of the Americas, several individuals bearing the Gurrola surname made their way to the New World. One notable figure was Diego de Gurrola, a Spanish explorer and conquistador who participated in the conquest of Nueva Galicia (present-day western Mexico) in the 1530s.
Another prominent individual with the Gurrola surname was Juan de Gurrola, a Spanish military officer and governor of the province of Yucatán in the late 16th century. He played a crucial role in defending the region against pirate attacks and indigenous uprisings.
In the 17th century, the Gurrola family had members who were involved in the Catholic Church. One such figure was Fray Andrés de Gurrola, a Franciscan friar and missionary who worked in the evangelization of indigenous communities in New Spain (present-day Mexico).
Moving into the 18th century, José María Gurrola was a Spanish-born military officer who served in the Spanish colonial army in New Spain. He participated in various campaigns against indigenous revolts and played a role in the defense of the Spanish colonies.
In the 19th century, Manuel Gurrola was a Mexican politician and military leader who fought in the Mexican-American War (1846-1848). He later served as the governor of the state of Sinaloa in the 1860s.
The Gurrola surname has maintained a presence in various regions of Spain, Mexico, and other Latin American countries over the centuries, with notable individuals continuing to contribute to various fields, including politics, military, religion, and exploration.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gurrola
Among Census respondents with the surname Gurrola, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 93.9%. The next largest groups are White (4.8%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Gurrola 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 Gurrola surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino93.9% · 6,121
- White4.8% · 311
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 30
- Two or more races0.3% · 22
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 18
- Black or African American0.3% · 17
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gurrola
Gurrola 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
#4,883
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,211
+2,006 bearers (+38.5%)
Per 100,000 2.44
Rank movement Up 1,195 places
2020
#5,180
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,519
-692 bearers (-9.6%)
Per 100,000 2.18
Rank movement Down 297 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,078 | 5,205 | 1.93 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,883 | 7,211 | 2.44 | +2,006 bearers (+38.5%) | Up 1,195 places |
| 2020 | #5,180 | 6,519 | 2.18 | -692 bearers (-9.6%) | Down 297 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 Gurrola 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 | #4,883 | #5,180 | -6.1% |
| Count | 7,211 | 6,519 | -9.6% |
| Per 100K | 2.44 | 2.18 | -10.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gurrola bearers went from 7,211 to 6,519 (-9.6% change). The surname moved down 297 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,883 to #5,180.
FAQ
Gurrola surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gurrola?
Name Census estimates that about 7,476 living Americans carry the surname Gurrola. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 45,847 residents.
How common is Gurrola?
Gurrola ranks #5,180 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.18 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 6,519 people with the surname Gurrola. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (7,476), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.18 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.18 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 Gurrola.
Has Gurrola become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gurrola went from 7,211 recorded bearers to 6,519. That is a decrease of 692 (-9.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,883 to #5,180.
What does the Census say about the background of Gurrola?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gurrola, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 93.9%. The next largest groups are White (4.8%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.5%). 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 Gurrola in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.9% (6,121 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gurrola appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (93.9%), White (4.8%), American Indian/Alaska Native (0.5%). 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 Gurrola (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 Gurrola mean?
A Basque surname derived from the word "gorro," meaning "cap" or "hood," likely referring to a person who wore or made caps. 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 Gurrola (2.18 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 Gurrola?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.