2000
#9,039
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,325
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.23
Rare Last name
Lobo
A Spanish surname meaning "wolf," often referring to a person with wolf-like qualities or from a place associated with wolves.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,555 Americans carry the last name Lobo. That puts it at #5,828 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.91 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 52,289 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lobo 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Lobo with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
6.6K
1 in 52,289
Census rank
#5,828
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,716 bearers of the surname Lobo in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.91 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5828th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lobo, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 51.3%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (21.1%) and White (17.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lobo
The surname "LOBO" has its origins in the Iberian Peninsula, specifically in Portugal and Spain, where it emerged during the medieval period. The name is derived from the Latin word "lupus," which means "wolf." It's believed that the surname was initially bestowed upon individuals who lived in areas inhabited by wolves or those who possessed wolf-like characteristics, such as strength and ferocity.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname can be found in the "Livro Velhos de Linhagens" (The Old Book of Lineages), a 14th-century Portuguese genealogical record. This manuscript mentions several individuals bearing the name Lobo, including Álvaro Gonçalves Lobo, a prominent nobleman who lived in the 13th century.
The surname Lobo also appears in the "Libro de las Behetrías" (Book of Behetrías), a 14th-century Castilian document that recorded land ownership and distribution in the Kingdom of Castile. This document lists various individuals with the surname Lobo, indicating its presence in medieval Spain.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the surname Lobo. One of the most renowned was Francisco Rodrigues Lobo (1580-1622), a Portuguese poet and playwright renowned for his pastoral works, such as "O Condestabre" (The Constable) and "Corte na Aldeia" (Court in the Village).
Another individual of note was Pedro Lobo (1798-1853), a Portuguese naval officer and explorer who led several expeditions to the Antarctic region. His voyages contributed significantly to the exploration and mapping of the Antarctic coastline.
In Spain, one of the most famous individuals with the surname Lobo was Eugenio Gerardo Lobo (1679-1750), a renowned Baroque poet and satirist. His works, such as "El Filis" and "La Boda de Buitrago," are considered literary masterpieces of the Spanish Golden Age.
Rodrigo Lobo Laso de la Vega (1555-1627) was a Spanish writer and philosopher who authored several works on moral philosophy, including "Filosofía Antigua Poética" (Ancient Poetic Philosophy) and "Corte en Aldea" (Court in the Village).
The surname Lobo has also been associated with various place names throughout the Iberian Peninsula, such as Lobo (a municipality in Portugal), Lobos (a municipality in Spain), and Lobón (a town in Spain), further reinforcing its historical roots in the region.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lobo
Among Census respondents with the surname Lobo, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 51.3%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (21.1%) and White (17.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Lobo 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 Lobo surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino51.3% · 2,934
- Asian and Pacific Islander21.1% · 1,206
- White17.1% · 975
- Black or African American5.2% · 300
- Two or more races4.5% · 259
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 42
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lobo
Lobo 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
#6,943
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,830
+1,505 bearers (+45.3%)
Per 100,000 1.64
Rank movement Up 2,096 places
2020
#5,828
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,716
+886 bearers (+18.3%)
Per 100,000 1.91
Rank movement Up 1,115 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,039 | 3,325 | 1.23 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,943 | 4,830 | 1.64 | +1,505 bearers (+45.3%) | Up 2,096 places |
| 2020 | #5,828 | 5,716 | 1.91 | +886 bearers (+18.3%) | Up 1,115 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 Lobo 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 | #6,943 | #5,828 | 16.1% |
| Count | 4,830 | 5,716 | 18.3% |
| Per 100K | 1.64 | 1.91 | 16.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lobo bearers went from 4,830 to 5,716 (+18.3% change). The surname moved up 1,115 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,943 to #5,828.
FAQ
Lobo surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lobo?
Name Census estimates that about 6,555 living Americans carry the surname Lobo. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 52,289 residents.
How common is Lobo?
Lobo ranks #5,828 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.91 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 5,716 people with the surname Lobo. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,555), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.91 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.91 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 Lobo.
Has Lobo become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lobo went from 4,830 recorded bearers to 5,716. That is an increase of 886 (+18.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #6,943 to #5,828.
What does the Census say about the background of Lobo?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lobo, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 51.3%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (21.1%) and White (17.1%). 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 Lobo in the 2020 Census, accounting for 51.3% (2,934 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lobo appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (51.3%), Asian/Pacific Islander (21.1%), White (17.1%). 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 Lobo (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 Lobo mean?
A Spanish surname meaning "wolf," often referring to a person with wolf-like qualities or from a place associated with wolves. 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 Lobo (1.91 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 Lobo?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.