2000
#10,196
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,902
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.08
Rare Last name
Mara
Of Irish origin, referring to a person who was a descendant of Mara, meaning "of the sea."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,838 Americans carry the last name Mara. That puts it at #12,043 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.83 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 120,773 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mara 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 Mara with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.8K
1 in 120,773
Census rank
#12,043
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,475 bearers of the surname Mara in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.83 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12043rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mara, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.2%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (9.3%) and Hispanic (7.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mara
The surname MARA is believed to have originated in Italy, with its roots tracing back to ancient Rome. The name is derived from the Latin word 'mara,' which means 'bitter' or 'sea.' It was initially used as a nickname or a descriptive term for someone with a bitter or salty personality or someone who lived near the sea.
During the Middle Ages, the name MARA began to appear in various Italian records and documents. One of the earliest known references can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Cavensis, a collection of medieval charters and diplomas from the Monastery of Cava in southern Italy, dating back to the 11th century.
In the 13th century, the name MARA was mentioned in the Libro Vecchio di Firenze, an ancient record book of the city of Florence, which documented the names of prominent citizens and families. One notable individual from this period was Mara Agolanti (c. 1220-1290), a wealthy merchant and landowner from Florence.
As the name spread throughout Italy, it also took on various regional spellings and variations, such as Marra, Marri, and Marras. These variations were often influenced by local dialects and linguistic traditions.
In the 15th century, the name MARA gained further prominence with the birth of Mara Sforza (1451-1499), a member of the powerful Sforza dynasty that ruled Milan. She was renowned for her beauty and intelligence and played a significant role in the political and cultural life of Renaissance Italy.
Another notable bearer of the MARA surname was Giacomo Mara (1670-1738), an Italian painter and architect from Piedmont. He was renowned for his work on several churches and palaces in Turin and other parts of northern Italy.
Throughout the centuries, the MARA surname has spread beyond Italy to other parts of Europe and the world, carried by Italian immigrants and their descendants. Some notable individuals with this surname include Dora Mara (1934-2015), a Brazilian actress and singer, and Alfredo Mara (1910-1991), an Italian-American boxer and actor.
While the MARA surname may have evolved and taken on different meanings and connotations over time, its Italian roots and rich history remain an integral part of its identity, reflecting the diverse cultural heritage and traditions of the Italian peninsula.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mara
Among Census respondents with the surname Mara, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.2%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (9.3%) and Hispanic (7.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Mara 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 Mara surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White76.2% · 1,886
- Asian and Pacific Islander9.3% · 229
- Hispanic or Latino7.8% · 194
- Black or African American3.6% · 90
- Two or more races2.9% · 72
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mara
Mara 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
#10,790
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,956
+54 bearers (+1.9%)
Per 100,000 1.00
Rank movement Down 594 places
2020
#12,043
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,475
-481 bearers (-16.3%)
Per 100,000 0.83
Rank movement Down 1,253 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,196 | 2,902 | 1.08 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,790 | 2,956 | 1.00 | +54 bearers (+1.9%) | Down 594 places |
| 2020 | #12,043 | 2,475 | 0.83 | -481 bearers (-16.3%) | Down 1,253 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 Mara 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 | #10,790 | #12,043 | -11.6% |
| Count | 2,956 | 2,475 | -16.3% |
| Per 100K | 1.00 | 0.83 | -17.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mara bearers went from 2,956 to 2,475 (-16.3% change). The surname moved down 1,253 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,790 to #12,043.
FAQ
Mara surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mara?
Name Census estimates that about 2,838 living Americans carry the surname Mara. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 120,773 residents.
How common is Mara?
Mara ranks #12,043 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.83 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 2,475 people with the surname Mara. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,838), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.83 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.83 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 Mara.
Has Mara become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mara went from 2,956 recorded bearers to 2,475. That is a decrease of 481 (-16.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #10,790 to #12,043.
What does the Census say about the background of Mara?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mara, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.2%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (9.3%) and Hispanic (7.8%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Mara in the 2020 Census, accounting for 76.2% (1,886 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mara appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (76.2%), Asian/Pacific Islander (9.3%), Hispanic (7.8%). 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 Mara (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 Mara mean?
Of Irish origin, referring to a person who was a descendant of Mara, meaning "of the sea." 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 Mara (0.83 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 Mara?
Find out how many people have the surname Mara on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.