2000
#12,107
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,362
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.88
Rare Last name
Loyola
A Basque topographic surname indicating a person's origin in the village of Loyola, Spain.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,061 Americans carry the last name Loyola. That puts it at #8,878 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.18 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 84,401 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Loyola 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
4.1K
1 in 84,401
Census rank
#8,878
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,541 bearers of the surname Loyola in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.18 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8878th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Loyola, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 73.3%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (17.6%) and White (6.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Loyola
The surname Loyola originated in the Basque region of Spain. It is derived from the Basque place name Loiola, which refers to a locality situated near Azpeitia in the province of Gipuzkoa. The name Loiola itself is believed to be derived from the Basque words "loi" meaning mud and "ola" meaning a flat area or meadow, suggesting a muddy or marshy place.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Loyola can be found in the 13th century, when Beltran Yañez de Loyola was mentioned in a document from the year 1251. This document was related to a dispute over a piece of land in the town of Azpeitia.
The Loyola family gained prominence in the 15th and 16th centuries, with several members holding influential positions in the region. One of the most notable individuals bearing this surname was Ignatius of Loyola (1491-1556), a Spanish knight who later became a priest and founded the Society of Jesus, also known as the Jesuits.
Another notable figure was Juan de Loyola (c. 1485-1548), who was a Spanish explorer and conquistador. He accompanied Hernán Cortés on his expedition to Mexico and participated in the conquest of the Aztec Empire.
In the 17th century, Martín García de Loyola (1549-1599) was a Spanish admiral and explorer who led several expeditions to the Pacific Ocean and the Strait of Magellan.
The surname Loyola also appeared in various historical documents and records from the Basque region, such as the Fueros de Vizcaya (a collection of laws and privileges) and the Libro de Armería (a book of heraldry).
Throughout history, the name Loyola has been associated with individuals from diverse fields, including religion, exploration, and military service, reflecting the rich cultural heritage of the Basque region and its influence on Spanish history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Loyola
Among Census respondents with the surname Loyola, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 73.3%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (17.6%) and White (6.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Loyola 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 Loyola surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino73.3% · 2,596
- Asian and Pacific Islander17.6% · 622
- White6.7% · 236
- Two or more races2.0% · 71
- Black or African American0.4% · 13
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Loyola
Loyola 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
#9,279
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,508
+1,146 bearers (+48.5%)
Per 100,000 1.19
Rank movement Up 2,828 places
2020
#8,878
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,541
+33 bearers (+0.9%)
Per 100,000 1.18
Rank movement Up 401 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,107 | 2,362 | 0.88 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,279 | 3,508 | 1.19 | +1,146 bearers (+48.5%) | Up 2,828 places |
| 2020 | #8,878 | 3,541 | 1.18 | +33 bearers (+0.9%) | Up 401 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 Loyola 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 | #9,279 | #8,878 | 4.3% |
| Count | 3,508 | 3,541 | 0.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.19 | 1.18 | -0.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Loyola bearers went from 3,508 to 3,541 (+0.9% change). The surname moved up 401 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,279 to #8,878.
FAQ
Loyola surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Loyola?
Name Census estimates that about 4,061 living Americans carry the surname Loyola. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 84,401 residents.
How common is Loyola?
Loyola ranks #8,878 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.18 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 3,541 people with the surname Loyola. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,061), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.18 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.18 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 Loyola.
Has Loyola become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Loyola went from 3,508 recorded bearers to 3,541. That is an increase of 33 (+0.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #9,279 to #8,878.
What does the Census say about the background of Loyola?
Among Census respondents with the surname Loyola, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 73.3%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (17.6%) and White (6.7%). 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 Loyola in the 2020 Census, accounting for 73.3% (2,596 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Loyola appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (73.3%), Asian/Pacific Islander (17.6%), White (6.7%). 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 Loyola (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 Loyola mean?
A Basque topographic surname indicating a person's origin in the village of Loyola, Spain. 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 Loyola (1.18 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 surname Loyola?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.