2000
#12,330
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,312
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.86
Rare Last name
Mirabal
A Spanish surname derived from the place name Mirabal, meaning "beautiful view" or "viewpoint" in Spanish.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,484 Americans carry the last name Mirabal. That puts it at #10,112 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.02 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 98,380 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mirabal 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
3.5K
1 in 98,380
Census rank
#10,112
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,038 bearers of the surname Mirabal in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.02 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10112th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mirabal, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 86.6%. The next largest groups are White (9.9%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (2.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mirabal
The surname Mirabal originated in Spain, with roots dating back to the 15th century. It is believed to have derived from the Spanish word "mirar," meaning "to look" or "to gaze," and the suffix "-bal," which is thought to have come from the Arabic word "bal," meaning "son of."
The name was first documented in the region of Valencia, where it was commonly associated with families residing in the medieval town of Mirabal. This town's name is thought to have originated from the Latin phrase "mirari vallem," meaning "to admire the valley," referring to the picturesque setting of the area.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Mirabal surname can be found in the "Libro de Repartimiento de Valencia," a document from the 13th century that recorded the distribution of land and properties in the region following the Christian reconquest of Valencia from the Moors.
During the 16th century, the Mirabal family held prominent positions in the Spanish court. Notable figures from this era include Diego de Mirabal (1505-1572), a renowned poet and playwright, and Juana de Mirabal (1520-1589), a respected scholar and patron of the arts.
In the 17th century, the Mirabal family established a strong presence in the Americas, with several members becoming prominent landowners and influential figures in the Spanish colonies. One such figure was Pedro de Mirabal (1635-1702), a wealthy plantation owner in Cuba and a key supporter of the Spanish Crown.
The 18th century saw the rise of Manuel de Mirabal (1725-1798), a renowned military strategist who played a crucial role in the Spanish campaigns against the British during the American Revolutionary War.
In more recent history, the Mirabal sisters – Patria (1924-1960), Minerva (1926-1960), and María Teresa (1935-1960) – became icons of the Dominican resistance against the dictatorship of Rafael Trujillo. Their courageous activism and ultimate martyrdom inspired the global movement against oppressive regimes.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mirabal
Among Census respondents with the surname Mirabal, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 86.6%. The next largest groups are White (9.9%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (2.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Mirabal 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 Mirabal surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino86.6% · 2,632
- White9.9% · 300
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.2% · 67
- Two or more races0.6% · 17
- Black or African American0.5% · 14
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mirabal
Mirabal 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
#10,983
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,896
+584 bearers (+25.3%)
Per 100,000 0.98
Rank movement Up 1,347 places
2020
#10,112
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,038
+142 bearers (+4.9%)
Per 100,000 1.02
Rank movement Up 871 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,330 | 2,312 | 0.86 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,983 | 2,896 | 0.98 | +584 bearers (+25.3%) | Up 1,347 places |
| 2020 | #10,112 | 3,038 | 1.02 | +142 bearers (+4.9%) | Up 871 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 Mirabal 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 | #10,983 | #10,112 | 7.9% |
| Count | 2,896 | 3,038 | 4.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.98 | 1.02 | 3.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mirabal bearers went from 2,896 to 3,038 (+4.9% change). The surname moved up 871 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,983 to #10,112.
FAQ
Mirabal surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mirabal?
Name Census estimates that about 3,484 living Americans carry the surname Mirabal. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 98,380 residents.
How common is Mirabal?
Mirabal ranks #10,112 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.02 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 3,038 people with the surname Mirabal. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,484), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.02 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.02 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 Mirabal.
Has Mirabal become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mirabal went from 2,896 recorded bearers to 3,038. That is an increase of 142 (+4.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #10,983 to #10,112.
What does the Census say about the background of Mirabal?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mirabal, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 86.6%. The next largest groups are White (9.9%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (2.2%). 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 Mirabal in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.6% (2,632 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mirabal appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (86.6%), White (9.9%), American Indian/Alaska Native (2.2%). 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 Mirabal (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 Mirabal mean?
A Spanish surname derived from the place name Mirabal, meaning "beautiful view" or "viewpoint" in Spanish. 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 Mirabal (1.02 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 Mirabal?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.