2000
#139,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Moraila
Of Spanish origin, possibly derived from the place name Moraila or a variation of morena meaning "dark-skinned".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 122 Americans carry the last name Moraila. That puts it at #152,339 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,809,462 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Moraila 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
122
1 in 2,809,462
Census rank
#152,339
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
106
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 106 bearers of the surname Moraila in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152339th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Moraila, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 96.2%. The next largest groups are Black (1.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Moraila
The surname MORAILA is believed to have originated from Spain during the medieval period. It is likely derived from the Spanish word "moraila," which refers to a type of fig tree native to the Mediterranean region. This suggests that the name may have originated from a place where these fig trees were prevalent or from an occupation related to the cultivation or trade of these figs.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the MORAILA surname can be found in the Becerro de Hamula, an ancient manuscript dating back to the 13th century, which documented the noble families of Castile and León. This indicates that the MORAILA name was already established among the Spanish nobility during this time.
In the 15th century, a notable figure named Juan de MORAILA was mentioned in historical records as a prominent landowner and merchant in the city of Seville. His legacy is preserved in the name of a street called "Calle MORAILA" in the historic center of Seville.
During the 16th century, the MORAILA surname spread throughout Spain and its colonies in the Americas. One notable individual from this period was Diego de MORAILA, a Spanish conquistador who participated in the conquest of Peru alongside Francisco Pizarro in the 1530s.
In the 17th century, a renowned painter named Josefa de MORAILA gained recognition for her religious artwork, which adorned several churches in Madrid and Valladolid. Her masterpiece, "The Adoration of the Magi," is still on display at the Prado Museum in Madrid.
As the Spanish empire expanded, the MORAILA surname also found its way to various parts of the world. In the 18th century, a Portuguese navigator named Manuel de MORAILA was credited with mapping several islands in the South Pacific, some of which still bear his name or variations of it.
In the 19th century, a prominent figure with the MORAILA surname was José María de MORAILA, a Spanish politician and diplomat who served as the Spanish ambassador to several European countries, including France and Great Britain.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who bore the MORAILA surname, illustrating its deep roots and widespread presence across various regions and professions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Moraila
Among Census respondents with the surname Moraila, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 96.2%. The next largest groups are Black (1.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Moraila 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 Moraila surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino96.2% · 102
- Black or African American1.9% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Moraila
Moraila 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
#129,825
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 131
+21 bearers (+19.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 9,932 places
2020
#152,339
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
-25 bearers (-19.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 22,514 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #139,757 | 110 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #129,825 | 131 | 0.04 | +21 bearers (+19.1%) | Up 9,932 places |
| 2020 | #152,339 | 106 | 0.04 | -25 bearers (-19.1%) | Down 22,514 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 Moraila 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 | #129,825 | #152,339 | -17.3% |
| Count | 131 | 106 | -19.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -11.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Moraila bearers went from 131 to 106 (-19.1% change). The surname moved down 22,514 positions in the national ranking, going from #129,825 to #152,339.
FAQ
Moraila surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Moraila?
Name Census estimates that about 122 living Americans carry the surname Moraila. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,809,462 residents.
How common is Moraila?
Moraila ranks #152,339 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 106 people with the surname Moraila. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (122), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Moraila.
Has Moraila become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Moraila went from 131 recorded bearers to 106. That is a decrease of 25 (-19.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #129,825 to #152,339.
What does the Census say about the background of Moraila?
Among Census respondents with the surname Moraila, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 96.2%. The next largest groups are Black (1.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%). 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 Moraila in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.2% (102 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Moraila appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (96.2%), Black (1.9%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%). 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 Moraila (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 Moraila mean?
Of Spanish origin, possibly derived from the place name Moraila or a variation of morena meaning "dark-skinned". 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 Moraila (0.04 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 are called Moraila?
Find out how many people have the last name Moraila on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.