2010
#142,108
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Pavilla
A surname of possible Spanish origin relating to a small town or location.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 134 Americans carry the last name Pavilla. That puts it at #144,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,557,868 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pavilla 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
134
1 in 2,557,868
Census rank
#144,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
117
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 117 bearers of the surname Pavilla in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 144270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pavilla, the largest self-reported group is American Indian/Alaska Native at 49.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (42.7%) and Two or More Races (5.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pavilla
The surname Pavilla is believed to have originated in Spain during the 16th century. It is thought to be derived from the Spanish word "pavilo," which means "wick" or "candle wick." This suggests that the name may have been associated with those who worked in the production or trade of candles or related materials.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Pavilla can be found in the parish records of Seville, Spain, dating back to the late 1500s. These records mention a family by the name of Pavilla residing in the city during that time period.
In the 17th century, the name appears to have spread to other parts of Spain, as well as to Spanish colonies in the Americas. Records from this era show individuals with the surname Pavilla living in areas such as Catalonia and Madrid, as well as in cities like Mexico City and Lima, Peru.
The surname Pavilla has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One such person was José Pavilla y Mendoza, a Spanish military officer who served in the Spanish American Wars of Independence in the early 19th century. He was born in Cádiz in 1785 and played a role in the battles against the revolutionary forces in regions like Venezuela and Colombia.
Another noteworthy figure with the surname Pavilla was María Pavilla, a Spanish painter and artist who lived in the late 18th century. She was known for her religious paintings and worked primarily in the Baroque and Rococo styles. Her works can be found in several churches and museums throughout Spain.
In the 20th century, one prominent individual with the surname Pavilla was Enrique Pavilla, a Spanish architect and urban planner who was instrumental in the development of several major projects in Madrid during the 1960s and 1970s. He was particularly known for his work on the design and construction of residential and commercial buildings in the city.
Other historical figures with the surname Pavilla include Pedro Pavilla, a 17th-century Spanish explorer who participated in expeditions to the Americas, and Juana Pavilla, a renowned Spanish poet and writer from the 16th century, whose works were widely acclaimed during her lifetime.
While the surname Pavilla is not as common today as it once was, it remains an important part of Spanish heritage and serves as a reminder of the rich cultural and historical tapestry that has shaped the country over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pavilla
Among Census respondents with the surname Pavilla, the largest self-reported group is American Indian/Alaska Native at 49.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (42.7%) and Two or More Races (5.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Pavilla 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 Pavilla surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- American Indian and Alaska Native49.6% · 58
- Hispanic or Latino42.7% · 50
- Two or more races5.1% · 6
- White2.6% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pavilla
Pavilla appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#144,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 2,162 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #142,108 | 117 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #144,270 | 117 | 0.04 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 2,162 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 Pavilla 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 | #142,108 | #144,270 | -1.5% |
| Count | 117 | 117 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -2.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pavilla bearers went from 117 to 117 (+0.0% change). The surname moved down 2,162 positions in the national ranking, going from #142,108 to #144,270.
FAQ
Pavilla surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pavilla?
Name Census estimates that about 134 living Americans carry the surname Pavilla. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,557,868 residents.
How common is Pavilla?
Pavilla ranks #144,270 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 117 people with the surname Pavilla. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (134), 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 Pavilla.
Has Pavilla become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pavilla went from 117 recorded bearers to 117. That is an increase of 0 (+0.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #142,108 to #144,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Pavilla?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pavilla, the largest self-reported group is American Indian/Alaska Native at 49.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (42.7%) and Two or More Races (5.1%). 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?
American Indian/Alaska Native is the largest self-reported group for the surname Pavilla in the 2020 Census, accounting for 49.6% (58 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pavilla appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are American Indian/Alaska Native (49.6%), Hispanic (42.7%), Two or More Races (5.1%). 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 Pavilla (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 Pavilla mean?
A surname of possible Spanish origin relating to a small town or location. 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 Pavilla (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 Pavilla?
For a quick modern take, check how many people are called Pavilla on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.