2000
#8,147
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,747
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.39
Rare Last name
Maravilla
A Spanish surname referring to a marvelous or wondrous event, quality, or person.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,321 Americans carry the last name Maravilla. That puts it at #6,011 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.84 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 54,225 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Maravilla 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
6.3K
1 in 54,225
Census rank
#6,011
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,512 bearers of the surname Maravilla in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.84 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6011th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Maravilla, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 89.2%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (6.6%) and White (3.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Maravilla
The surname Maravilla has its origins in Spain, tracing back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Spanish word "maravilla," which means "wonder" or "marvel." This name likely originated as a descriptive surname, possibly given to someone who performed remarkable or awe-inspiring deeds.
One of the earliest records of the Maravilla surname can be found in the Medieval Spanish manuscript "Cantar de Mio Cid," which dates back to the 12th century. This epic poem mentions a character named Rodrigo Maravilla, who was a knight in the service of the legendary Spanish hero El Cid.
In the 14th century, there are references to a noble family named Maravilla residing in the region of Andalusia, southern Spain. This family was known for their wealth and influence, and some members held important positions in the court of the Castilian monarchs.
During the 16th century, the Maravilla surname spread to other parts of the Spanish Empire, including the Americas. One notable figure was Juan de Maravilla, a Spanish conquistador who accompanied Hernán Cortés in the conquest of Mexico in the 1520s.
Another prominent individual with the Maravilla surname was Catalina de Maravilla, born in 1525 in Seville, Spain. She was a renowned poet and writer during the Spanish Renaissance, and her works were highly acclaimed by her contemporaries.
In the 17th century, a branch of the Maravilla family settled in the Philippines, which was then a Spanish colony. One of their descendants, Pedro Maravilla (1650-1718), became a prominent figure in the colonial administration and served as the Governor of the province of Zambales.
Over the centuries, the Maravilla surname has been found in various other Spanish-speaking regions, such as Latin America and parts of the Caribbean. Some notable individuals include the Mexican painter Miguel Maravilla (1800-1876) and the Peruvian writer and politician José María Maravilla (1815-1890).
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Maravilla
Among Census respondents with the surname Maravilla, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 89.2%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (6.6%) and White (3.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Maravilla 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 Maravilla surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino89.2% · 4,918
- Asian and Pacific Islander6.6% · 362
- White3.3% · 180
- Two or more races0.7% · 41
- Black or African American0.1% · 6
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Maravilla
Maravilla 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
#6,052
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,669
+1,922 bearers (+51.3%)
Per 100,000 1.92
Rank movement Up 2,095 places
2020
#6,011
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,512
-157 bearers (-2.8%)
Per 100,000 1.84
Rank movement Up 41 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,147 | 3,747 | 1.39 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,052 | 5,669 | 1.92 | +1,922 bearers (+51.3%) | Up 2,095 places |
| 2020 | #6,011 | 5,512 | 1.84 | -157 bearers (-2.8%) | Up 41 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 Maravilla 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 | #6,052 | #6,011 | 0.7% |
| Count | 5,669 | 5,512 | -2.8% |
| Per 100K | 1.92 | 1.84 | -4.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Maravilla bearers went from 5,669 to 5,512 (-2.8% change). The surname moved up 41 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,052 to #6,011.
FAQ
Maravilla surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Maravilla?
Name Census estimates that about 6,321 living Americans carry the surname Maravilla. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 54,225 residents.
How common is Maravilla?
Maravilla ranks #6,011 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.84 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 5,512 people with the surname Maravilla. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,321), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.84 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.84 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 Maravilla.
Has Maravilla become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Maravilla went from 5,669 recorded bearers to 5,512. That is a decrease of 157 (-2.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #6,052 to #6,011.
What does the Census say about the background of Maravilla?
Among Census respondents with the surname Maravilla, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 89.2%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (6.6%) and White (3.3%). 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 Maravilla in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.2% (4,918 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Maravilla appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (89.2%), Asian/Pacific Islander (6.6%), White (3.3%). 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 Maravilla (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 Maravilla mean?
A Spanish surname referring to a marvelous or wondrous event, quality, or person. 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 Maravilla (1.84 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 Maravilla?
If you just want to know how many people have the surname Maravilla, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.