2000
#11,500
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,511
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.93
Rare Last name
Hilario
A Spanish surname derived from the Latin name Hilarius, meaning cheerful or merry.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,790 Americans carry the last name Hilario. That puts it at #7,638 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.40 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 71,556 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hilario 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
4.8K
1 in 71,556
Census rank
#7,638
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,177 bearers of the surname Hilario in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.40 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7638th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hilario, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 69.6%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (21.6%) and White (6.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hilario
The surname "HILARIO" originated in the Iberian Peninsula, specifically in the regions of Spain and Portugal, during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Latin name "Hilarius," which means "cheerful" or "merry." This name was likely adopted as a descriptive surname, referring to someone with a cheerful or jovial demeanor.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname "HILARIO" can be traced back to the 12th century, when it appeared in various medieval records and documents from Spain and Portugal. One notable example is the "Codice Diplomatico Portugues," a collection of Portuguese diplomatic documents, where the name "Hilario" is mentioned in reference to individuals from that time period.
In the 13th century, the name "HILARIO" was documented in the "Fuero de Sepulveda," a legal code established in the city of Sepulveda, located in the province of Segovia, Spain. This suggests that the name was prevalent in that region during that era.
Throughout the centuries, several notable individuals have borne the surname "HILARIO." One such person was Pedro Hilario, a Spanish painter and engraver who lived in the 16th century and was known for his religious artwork. Another was José Hilario Lopez, a Mexican general and politician who played a significant role in the Mexican-American War in the mid-19th century (1798-1853).
In the realm of literature, one notable figure was Joaquín Hilario, a Colombian poet and writer who lived in the late 19th century and was known for his romantic poetry (1847-1920). Additionally, Juan Hilario Sosa, a Venezuelan military officer and politician, served as the President of Venezuela from 1920 to 1925.
Another individual of note was Hermenegildo Hilario, a Filipino revolutionary and guerrilla leader who fought against Spanish colonial rule in the late 19th century (1866-1899).
While the surname "HILARIO" has its roots in the Iberian Peninsula, it has since spread to various parts of the world, particularly through Spanish and Portuguese colonization and migration patterns. However, the earliest recorded instances and historical references for this surname can be traced back to the Medieval period in Spain and Portugal.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hilario
Among Census respondents with the surname Hilario, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 69.6%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (21.6%) and White (6.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Hilario 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 Hilario surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino69.6% · 2,909
- Asian and Pacific Islander21.6% · 901
- White6.5% · 273
- Two or more races1.3% · 56
- Black or African American0.6% · 26
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 12
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hilario
Hilario 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
#8,541
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,854
+1,343 bearers (+53.5%)
Per 100,000 1.31
Rank movement Up 2,959 places
2020
#7,638
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,177
+323 bearers (+8.4%)
Per 100,000 1.40
Rank movement Up 903 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,500 | 2,511 | 0.93 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,541 | 3,854 | 1.31 | +1,343 bearers (+53.5%) | Up 2,959 places |
| 2020 | #7,638 | 4,177 | 1.40 | +323 bearers (+8.4%) | Up 903 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 Hilario 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 | #8,541 | #7,638 | 10.6% |
| Count | 3,854 | 4,177 | 8.4% |
| Per 100K | 1.31 | 1.40 | 6.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hilario bearers went from 3,854 to 4,177 (+8.4% change). The surname moved up 903 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,541 to #7,638.
FAQ
Hilario surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hilario?
Name Census estimates that about 4,790 living Americans carry the surname Hilario. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 71,556 residents.
How common is Hilario?
Hilario ranks #7,638 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.40 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,177 people with the surname Hilario. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,790), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.4 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.40 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Hilario.
Has Hilario become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hilario went from 3,854 recorded bearers to 4,177. That is an increase of 323 (+8.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #8,541 to #7,638.
What does the Census say about the background of Hilario?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hilario, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 69.6%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (21.6%) and White (6.5%). 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 Hilario in the 2020 Census, accounting for 69.6% (2,909 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hilario appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (69.6%), Asian/Pacific Islander (21.6%), White (6.5%). 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 Hilario (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 Hilario mean?
A Spanish surname derived from the Latin name Hilarius, meaning cheerful or merry. 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 Hilario (1.40 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 Americans have the surname Hilario?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.