2000
#6,760
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,596
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.70
Rare Last name
Gurule
A Spanish surname derived from the Basque word "gorostolai," meaning "place of holly trees."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,345 Americans carry the last name Gurule. That puts it at #6,945 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.56 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 64,126 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gurule 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
5.3K
1 in 64,126
Census rank
#6,945
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,661 bearers of the surname Gurule in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.56 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6945th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gurule, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 77.0%. The next largest groups are White (19.3%) and Two or More Races (1.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gurule
The surname Gurule originated in Spain and has roots dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Spanish word "gurull," which means "heap" or "pile," possibly referring to a geographical feature or a location where the name's bearers resided.
The earliest recorded instances of the Gurule surname can be traced back to the 13th century in various Spanish records and manuscripts. One notable mention is in the "Libro de la Montería" (Book of the Hunt), a manuscript from the 14th century that documented hunting activities during the reign of King Alfonso XI of Castile.
In the 16th century, the name appeared in various regions of Spain, including Aragon, Catalonia, and Valencia. During this period, the surname was often spelled as "Gurull" or "Gurul," reflecting the variations in pronunciation and orthography common at the time.
As Spain expanded its territories and influence, the Gurule surname spread to the Americas, particularly to areas that are now part of Mexico and the southwestern United States. One of the earliest documented individuals with this surname in the New World was Juan Gurule, a Spanish soldier who participated in the conquest of Mexico in the early 16th century.
Another notable figure was Sebastián Gurule, a Spanish explorer and colonist who played a role in the establishment of Santa Fe, New Mexico, in the late 16th century. He is often credited as one of the founding families of the city.
In the 17th century, the Gurule surname gained prominence in New Mexico, where several individuals with this name held positions of authority and influence. One such individual was Diego Gurule, who served as the alcalde (mayor) of Santa Fe in the mid-1600s.
Other notable individuals with the Gurule surname include:
1. Antonio Gurule (1792-1865), a prominent rancher and landowner in New Mexico.
2. Josefa Gurule (1818-1892), a well-known curandera (traditional healer) in the Santa Fe area.
3. Mariano Gurule (1834-1904), a veteran of the American Civil War who fought for the Union Army.
4. Estevan Gurule (1862-1939), a renowned santero (artist of religious sculptures) from Albuquerque, New Mexico.
5. Beatriz Gurule (1901-1981), a celebrated weaver and advocate for the preservation of traditional Hispanic arts and crafts in New Mexico.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gurule
Among Census respondents with the surname Gurule, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 77.0%. The next largest groups are White (19.3%) and Two or More Races (1.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Gurule 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 Gurule surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino77.0% · 3,591
- White19.3% · 898
- Two or more races1.6% · 73
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.4% · 64
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 21
- Black or African American0.3% · 14
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gurule
Gurule 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
#6,848
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,915
+319 bearers (+6.9%)
Per 100,000 1.67
Rank movement Down 88 places
2020
#6,945
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,661
-254 bearers (-5.2%)
Per 100,000 1.56
Rank movement Down 97 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,760 | 4,596 | 1.70 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,848 | 4,915 | 1.67 | +319 bearers (+6.9%) | Down 88 places |
| 2020 | #6,945 | 4,661 | 1.56 | -254 bearers (-5.2%) | Down 97 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 Gurule 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 | #6,848 | #6,945 | -1.4% |
| Count | 4,915 | 4,661 | -5.2% |
| Per 100K | 1.67 | 1.56 | -6.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gurule bearers went from 4,915 to 4,661 (-5.2% change). The surname moved down 97 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,848 to #6,945.
FAQ
Gurule surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gurule?
Name Census estimates that about 5,345 living Americans carry the surname Gurule. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 64,126 residents.
How common is Gurule?
Gurule ranks #6,945 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.56 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 4,661 people with the surname Gurule. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,345), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.56 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.56 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 Gurule.
Has Gurule become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gurule went from 4,915 recorded bearers to 4,661. That is a decrease of 254 (-5.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,848 to #6,945.
What does the Census say about the background of Gurule?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gurule, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 77.0%. The next largest groups are White (19.3%) and Two or More Races (1.6%). 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 Gurule in the 2020 Census, accounting for 77.0% (3,591 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gurule appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (77.0%), White (19.3%), Two or More Races (1.6%). 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 Gurule (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 Gurule mean?
A Spanish surname derived from the Basque word "gorostolai," meaning "place of holly trees." 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 Gurule (1.56 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 Gurule?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.