2010
#159,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Larita
A modified form of the Spanish surname "Laredo", derived from the Spanish city of that name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 126 Americans carry the last name Larita. That puts it at #149,446 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,720,273 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Larita 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
126
1 in 2,720,273
Census rank
#149,446
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
110
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 110 bearers of the surname Larita in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 149446th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Larita, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 48.2%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (32.7%) and Two or More Races (15.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Larita
The surname Larita originated in the Iberian Peninsula, specifically in the region of Andalusia, Spain, during the medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Latin term "laritus," which means "pleasant" or "delightful." This suggests that the name may have initially been used as a nickname or a descriptive term for someone with a pleasant personality or demeanor.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Larita can be found in the Cartulario de Santa María de Albarracín, a collection of medieval documents from the 13th century. This manuscript mentions a certain Pedro Larita, who was a landowner and nobleman in the region of Teruel, Aragon.
In the 14th century, the name Larita appears in the Libro de la Montería, a hunting treatise commissioned by King Alfonso XI of Castile. The text mentions a place called "Larita" located in the province of Jaén, indicating that the surname may have also originated from a place name or toponym.
During the 15th century, the Larita family gained prominence in the city of Seville, where they were involved in various trade and mercantile activities. One notable figure from this period was Fernán Pérez de Larita, a wealthy merchant who financed several expeditions to the Americas in the early years of Spanish colonization.
In the 16th century, the Larita surname can be found in the archives of the Spanish Inquisition, where several individuals bearing this name were accused of practicing crypto-Judaism or secretly adhering to Jewish traditions. This suggests that the Larita family may have had Jewish roots or ancestry.
Over the centuries, the Larita name has been associated with several notable individuals, including:
1. Juan de Larita (c. 1530-1598), a Spanish soldier and conquistador who participated in the conquest of Peru under Francisco Pizarro.
2. María de Larita (1602-1672), a renowned playwright and poet from Seville, known for her works that explored themes of love and societal norms.
3. Rodrigo Larita (1678-1745), a Jesuit missionary and explorer who traveled extensively in the Amazon rainforest and documented various indigenous cultures.
4. Carla Larita (1820-1902), a Spanish painter and artist who gained recognition for her portraits and landscapes.
5. Emilio Larita (1879-1954), a Spanish architect and urban planner who designed several notable buildings and public spaces in Madrid.
While the Larita surname has its roots in Spain, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly Latin America, due to Spanish colonization and migration patterns. However, the historical origins of this name can be traced back to the Iberian Peninsula, where it emerged as a distinctive surname with potential connections to pleasant or delightful qualities, as well as possible links to specific places or toponyms.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Larita
Among Census respondents with the surname Larita, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 48.2%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (32.7%) and Two or More Races (15.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Larita 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 Larita surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino48.2% · 53
- Asian and Pacific Islander32.7% · 36
- Two or more races15.5% · 17
- White2.7% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Larita
Larita appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#149,446
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
+9 bearers (+8.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 10,266 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #159,712 | 101 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #149,446 | 110 | 0.04 | +9 bearers (+8.9%) | Up 10,266 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 Larita 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 | #159,712 | #149,446 | 6.4% |
| Count | 101 | 110 | 8.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 22.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Larita bearers went from 101 to 110 (+8.9% change). The surname moved up 10,266 positions in the national ranking, going from #159,712 to #149,446.
FAQ
Larita surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Larita?
Name Census estimates that about 126 living Americans carry the surname Larita. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,720,273 residents.
How common is Larita?
Larita ranks #149,446 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 110 people with the surname Larita. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (126), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Larita.
Has Larita become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Larita went from 101 recorded bearers to 110. That is an increase of 9 (+8.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #159,712 to #149,446.
What does the Census say about the background of Larita?
Among Census respondents with the surname Larita, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 48.2%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (32.7%) and Two or More Races (15.5%). 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 Larita in the 2020 Census, accounting for 48.2% (53 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Larita appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (48.2%), Asian/Pacific Islander (32.7%), Two or More Races (15.5%). 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 Larita (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 Larita mean?
A modified form of the Spanish surname "Laredo", derived from the Spanish city of that name. 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 Larita (0.04 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 Larita?
For a quick modern take, check how many people are called Larita on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.