2000
#5,653
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,631
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.09
Rare Last name
Raya
A surname of Spanish origin meaning "line," "stripe," or "ray," likely referring to a distinguishing feature or characteristic.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 8,112 Americans carry the last name Raya. That puts it at #4,837 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.37 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 42,253 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Raya 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
8.1K
1 in 42,253
Census rank
#4,837
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
7.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 7,074 bearers of the surname Raya in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.37 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4837th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Raya, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 89.2%. The next largest groups are White (6.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Raya
The surname Raya is of Spanish origin, deriving from the Latin word "raia," meaning a boundary line or border. This name first emerged in the medieval period, particularly in the regions of Castile and Aragon, where it was closely associated with those who lived near territorial borders or worked as boundary guards.
One of the earliest recorded references to the Raya surname can be found in the 13th-century Libro de la Montería, which documented the hunting exploits of King Alfonso XI of Castile. This text mentions a certain Pedro Raya, who likely served as a boundary guard or lived near a territorial line.
During the 14th and 15th centuries, the Raya surname gained prominence in various parts of Spain, including Andalusia and Extremadura. It is believed that the name may have evolved from the place name "Raya," a village located in the province of Seville, which itself derived from the Latin word "raia."
One notable bearer of the Raya surname was Juan de Raya, a Spanish explorer and navigator who accompanied Hernán Cortés during the conquest of Mexico in the early 16th century. Juan de Raya played a crucial role in mapping the coastlines and charting the routes that facilitated the Spanish exploration and colonization of the Americas.
Another prominent figure was Andrés de Raya, a 16th-century Spanish architect and military engineer. He is renowned for his contributions to the construction of several fortifications and defensive structures across Spain, including the famous Castillo de San Marcos in St. Augustine, Florida, which he helped design.
In the 17th century, the Raya surname gained recognition through the works of Juan Raya, a Spanish priest and theologian. His writings on religious doctrine and philosophy were widely circulated and influential during that time.
Moving into the 18th century, Manuel de Raya y Navarrete, a Spanish naval officer and cartographer, made significant contributions to the mapping of the Pacific Ocean and the exploration of the western coast of North America.
Throughout history, the Raya surname has been associated with individuals from diverse backgrounds, including artists, politicians, and military personnel. While its origins can be traced back to the medieval period in Spain, the name has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and cultural exchange.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Raya
Among Census respondents with the surname Raya, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 89.2%. The next largest groups are White (6.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Raya 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 Raya surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino89.2% · 6,310
- White6.6% · 465
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.7% · 189
- Black or African American0.6% · 42
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 40
- Two or more races0.4% · 28
Timeline
Historical Census data for Raya
Raya 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
#4,894
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,198
+1,567 bearers (+27.8%)
Per 100,000 2.44
Rank movement Up 759 places
2020
#4,837
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,074
-124 bearers (-1.7%)
Per 100,000 2.37
Rank movement Up 57 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,653 | 5,631 | 2.09 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,894 | 7,198 | 2.44 | +1,567 bearers (+27.8%) | Up 759 places |
| 2020 | #4,837 | 7,074 | 2.37 | -124 bearers (-1.7%) | Up 57 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 Raya 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 | #4,894 | #4,837 | 1.2% |
| Count | 7,198 | 7,074 | -1.7% |
| Per 100K | 2.44 | 2.37 | -3.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Raya bearers went from 7,198 to 7,074 (-1.7% change). The surname moved up 57 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,894 to #4,837.
FAQ
Raya surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Raya?
Name Census estimates that about 8,112 living Americans carry the surname Raya. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 42,253 residents.
How common is Raya?
Raya ranks #4,837 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.37 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 7,074 people with the surname Raya. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (8,112), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.37 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.37 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Raya.
Has Raya become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Raya went from 7,198 recorded bearers to 7,074. That is a decrease of 124 (-1.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #4,894 to #4,837.
What does the Census say about the background of Raya?
Among Census respondents with the surname Raya, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 89.2%. The next largest groups are White (6.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.7%). 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 Raya in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.2% (6,310 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Raya appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (89.2%), White (6.6%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.7%). 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 Raya (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 Raya mean?
A surname of Spanish origin meaning "line," "stripe," or "ray," likely referring to a distinguishing feature or characteristic. 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 Raya (2.37 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 common is the surname Raya?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the last name Raya at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.