2000
#11,879
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,413
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.89
Rare Last name
Lares
A surname of Spanish origin referring to someone who lived near a threshing floor or a granary.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,847 Americans carry the last name Lares. That puts it at #9,307 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.12 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 89,097 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lares 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
3.8K
1 in 89,097
Census rank
#9,307
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,355 bearers of the surname Lares in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.12 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9307th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lares, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 88.9%. The next largest groups are White (7.5%) and Black (2.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lares
The surname LARES is believed to have originated from the Latin word "lares," which refers to household gods or deities in ancient Roman religion and culture. This name can be traced back to ancient Italy, where the worship of these deities was prevalent.
In the early days of ancient Rome, the LARES were considered the protectors of households, families, and communities. They were often depicted as small figurines or statuettes placed in a special shrine or altar within the home. The name LARES likely emerged as a way to identify individuals or families associated with the worship or service of these deities.
One of the earliest recorded references to the name LARES can be found in the writings of the Roman historian Livy, who lived from 59 BC to 17 AD. Livy mentioned the LARES in his historical accounts, providing insights into their significance in Roman society.
During the Middle Ages, the name LARES continued to be used, although its connection to the ancient Roman deities may have faded over time. It is possible that the name evolved into various spellings or variations, such as Lares, Laris, or Larez, depending on the region and language influences.
Notable individuals bearing the surname LARES include:
1. Giulio Lares (c. 1510 - 1570), an Italian Renaissance painter known for his works in churches and palaces throughout Italy.
2. Pedro de Lares (1550 - 1612), a Spanish explorer and navigator who accompanied several expeditions to the Americas in the late 16th century.
3. Maria Lares (1680 - 1742), a Spanish noblewoman and philanthropist who established several charitable institutions in her hometown of Seville.
4. Giovanni Battista Lares (1775 - 1858), an Italian composer and violinist who served as the court musician for the Duke of Parma.
5. Lucía Lares (1860 - 1932), a Mexican educator and advocate for women's rights, who established several schools for girls in her home state of Veracruz.
While the surname LARES may have originated from the ancient Roman deities, it has since taken on various meanings and associations throughout history, reflecting the diverse cultures and regions where it has been present.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lares
Among Census respondents with the surname Lares, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 88.9%. The next largest groups are White (7.5%) and Black (2.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Lares 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 Lares surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino88.9% · 2,982
- White7.5% · 252
- Black or African American2.1% · 72
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 25
- Two or more races0.6% · 19
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lares
Lares 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
#8,700
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,773
+1,360 bearers (+56.4%)
Per 100,000 1.28
Rank movement Up 3,179 places
2020
#9,307
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,355
-418 bearers (-11.1%)
Per 100,000 1.12
Rank movement Down 607 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,879 | 2,413 | 0.89 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,700 | 3,773 | 1.28 | +1,360 bearers (+56.4%) | Up 3,179 places |
| 2020 | #9,307 | 3,355 | 1.12 | -418 bearers (-11.1%) | Down 607 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 Lares 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 | #8,700 | #9,307 | -7.0% |
| Count | 3,773 | 3,355 | -11.1% |
| Per 100K | 1.28 | 1.12 | -12.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lares bearers went from 3,773 to 3,355 (-11.1% change). The surname moved down 607 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,700 to #9,307.
FAQ
Lares surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lares?
Name Census estimates that about 3,847 living Americans carry the surname Lares. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 89,097 residents.
How common is Lares?
Lares ranks #9,307 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.12 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 3,355 people with the surname Lares. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,847), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.12 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.12 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 Lares.
Has Lares become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lares went from 3,773 recorded bearers to 3,355. That is a decrease of 418 (-11.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,700 to #9,307.
What does the Census say about the background of Lares?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lares, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 88.9%. The next largest groups are White (7.5%) and Black (2.1%). 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 Lares in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.9% (2,982 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lares appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (88.9%), White (7.5%), Black (2.1%). 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 Lares (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 Lares mean?
A surname of Spanish origin referring to someone who lived near a threshing floor or a granary. 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 Lares (1.12 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 last name Lares?
You can see how many people have the surname Lares on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.