2000
#10,248
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,885
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.07
Rare Last name
Noyola
A Spanish toponymic surname derived from a place name, possibly referring to a walnut tree or walnut grove.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,600 Americans carry the last name Noyola. That puts it at #7,933 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.34 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 74,512 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Noyola 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
4.6K
1 in 74,512
Census rank
#7,933
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,011 bearers of the surname Noyola in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.34 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7933rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Noyola, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 95.1%. The next largest groups are White (4.3%) and Black (0.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Noyola
The surname Noyola has its roots in Spain and dates back to the medieval period. It originated as a place name, referring to a specific location or region within the Iberian Peninsula. While the exact etymology is uncertain, some scholars suggest that it may be derived from the Spanish word "noya," which means a deep pool or pond, potentially indicating a connection to a geographic feature in the area where the name originated.
During the 11th and 12th centuries, as the Reconquista (the Christian reconquest of the Iberian Peninsula from Muslim rule) progressed, the name Noyola began to appear in historical records and documents. One of the earliest known references can be found in a medieval manuscript from the 13th century, which mentions a nobleman named Diego de Noyola who fought alongside King Alfonso VIII of Castile in the Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa in 1212.
In the 15th century, Juan de Noyola, a Spanish explorer and navigator, accompanied Christopher Columbus on his second voyage to the Americas in 1493. He later settled in the Caribbean and is believed to have established one of the first Spanish settlements in the region.
As the Spanish Empire expanded, the Noyola surname spread to various parts of the world, including the Americas. In the 16th century, records show a Pedro de Noyola who was among the first Spanish settlers in Mexico and played a role in the conquest and colonization of the region.
Another notable figure was María de Noyola, a Spanish noblewoman born in 1560, who became known for her philanthropic work and contributions to the establishment of educational institutions in her hometown of Seville.
During the 17th century, the Noyola family gained prominence in Peru, where Francisco de Noyola (1625-1692) served as a prominent military commander and governor of several provinces under Spanish rule.
As the centuries passed, the Noyola surname continued to spread and adapt to different cultural contexts, with variations in spelling and pronunciation emerging in different regions. Despite its wide dispersal, the name has maintained a strong connection to its Spanish origins and the rich history associated with it.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Noyola
Among Census respondents with the surname Noyola, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 95.1%. The next largest groups are White (4.3%) and Black (0.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Noyola 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 Noyola surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino95.1% · 3,813
- White4.3% · 173
- Black or African American0.3% · 12
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.2% · 7
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 4
- Two or more races0.0% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Noyola
Noyola 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
#7,759
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,279
+1,394 bearers (+48.3%)
Per 100,000 1.45
Rank movement Up 2,489 places
2020
#7,933
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,011
-268 bearers (-6.3%)
Per 100,000 1.34
Rank movement Down 174 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,248 | 2,885 | 1.07 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,759 | 4,279 | 1.45 | +1,394 bearers (+48.3%) | Up 2,489 places |
| 2020 | #7,933 | 4,011 | 1.34 | -268 bearers (-6.3%) | Down 174 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 Noyola 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 | #7,759 | #7,933 | -2.2% |
| Count | 4,279 | 4,011 | -6.3% |
| Per 100K | 1.45 | 1.34 | -7.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Noyola bearers went from 4,279 to 4,011 (-6.3% change). The surname moved down 174 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,759 to #7,933.
FAQ
Noyola surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Noyola?
Name Census estimates that about 4,600 living Americans carry the surname Noyola. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 74,512 residents.
How common is Noyola?
Noyola ranks #7,933 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.34 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 4,011 people with the surname Noyola. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,600), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.34 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.34 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 Noyola.
Has Noyola become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Noyola went from 4,279 recorded bearers to 4,011. That is a decrease of 268 (-6.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,759 to #7,933.
What does the Census say about the background of Noyola?
Among Census respondents with the surname Noyola, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 95.1%. The next largest groups are White (4.3%) and Black (0.3%). 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 Noyola in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.1% (3,813 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Noyola appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (95.1%), White (4.3%), Black (0.3%). 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 Noyola (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 Noyola mean?
A Spanish toponymic surname derived from a place name, possibly referring to a walnut tree or walnut grove. 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 Noyola (1.34 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 Noyola?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.