2000
#19,942
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,246
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.46
Rare Last name
Ravelo
A Spanish surname derived from the place name Revilla, referring to someone from a town with that name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,445 Americans carry the last name Ravelo. That puts it at #13,606 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.71 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 140,186 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ravelo 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
2.4K
1 in 140,186
Census rank
#13,606
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,132 bearers of the surname Ravelo in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.71 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13606th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ravelo, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 80.3%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (10.9%) and White (6.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ravelo
The surname Ravelo has its origins in Italy, specifically in the regions of Piedmont and Liguria. It is believed to have emerged sometime during the early Middle Ages, around the 8th or 9th century. The name is derived from the Italian word "ravello," which means a small stream or ravine. This suggests that the early bearers of this surname likely lived near or in proximity to a small watercourse or ravine.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Ravelo can be found in the Cartario Genovese, a collection of historical documents from the Republic of Genoa, dating back to the 11th century. In these records, a certain "Guglielmo Ravelo" is mentioned as a merchant and landowner in the city of Genoa.
In the 13th century, a notable individual named Enrico Ravelo was a prominent jurist and legal scholar in the city of Turin. He authored several influential works on civil law and was highly regarded in his time.
During the Renaissance period, the Ravelo family rose to prominence in the Republic of Genoa. One of the most illustrious members was Andrea Ravelo, a successful merchant and diplomat who served as the Genoese ambassador to the court of King Henry VIII of England in the early 16th century.
Another notable figure from this family was Giovanni Battista Ravelo, a renowned architect and engineer who lived in the 16th century. He was responsible for designing and overseeing the construction of several important public works projects in Genoa, including the iconic Palazzo Ducale.
In the 17th century, a branch of the Ravelo family migrated to Sicily and settled in the city of Palermo. One of their descendants, Giuseppe Ravelo, was a celebrated poet and playwright who gained recognition for his works in the Sicilian dialect.
Throughout history, the surname Ravelo has been associated with various professions and occupations, including merchants, lawyers, architects, engineers, and artists. While the name may have originated from a humble geographic reference, its bearers have left a lasting impact in various fields across Italy and beyond.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ravelo
Among Census respondents with the surname Ravelo, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 80.3%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (10.9%) and White (6.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Ravelo 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 Ravelo surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino80.3% · 1,712
- Asian and Pacific Islander10.9% · 232
- White6.5% · 139
- Two or more races1.5% · 31
- Black or African American0.8% · 16
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ravelo
Ravelo 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
#14,881
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,988
+742 bearers (+59.6%)
Per 100,000 0.67
Rank movement Up 5,061 places
2020
#13,606
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,132
+144 bearers (+7.2%)
Per 100,000 0.71
Rank movement Up 1,275 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #19,942 | 1,246 | 0.46 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,881 | 1,988 | 0.67 | +742 bearers (+59.6%) | Up 5,061 places |
| 2020 | #13,606 | 2,132 | 0.71 | +144 bearers (+7.2%) | Up 1,275 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 Ravelo 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 | #14,881 | #13,606 | 8.6% |
| Count | 1,988 | 2,132 | 7.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.67 | 0.71 | 6.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ravelo bearers went from 1,988 to 2,132 (+7.2% change). The surname moved up 1,275 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,881 to #13,606.
FAQ
Ravelo surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ravelo?
Name Census estimates that about 2,445 living Americans carry the surname Ravelo. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 140,186 residents.
How common is Ravelo?
Ravelo ranks #13,606 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.71 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 2,132 people with the surname Ravelo. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,445), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.71 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.71 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 Ravelo.
Has Ravelo become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ravelo went from 1,988 recorded bearers to 2,132. That is an increase of 144 (+7.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #14,881 to #13,606.
What does the Census say about the background of Ravelo?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ravelo, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 80.3%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (10.9%) and White (6.5%). 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 Ravelo in the 2020 Census, accounting for 80.3% (1,712 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ravelo appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (80.3%), Asian/Pacific Islander (10.9%), White (6.5%). 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 Ravelo (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 Ravelo mean?
A Spanish surname derived from the place name Revilla, referring to someone from a town with that name. 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 Ravelo (0.71 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 Ravelo?
For a quick modern take, check how common the surname Ravelo is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.