Find out how popular the last name Rayas is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Rayas.

Rayas, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Rayas surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Rayas in America

Rayas is the 15527th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Rayas surname appeared 1,885 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Rayas.

We can also compare 2010 data for Rayas to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Rayas

The surname RAYAS originates from Spain, where it was first recorded in the 15th century. It is believed to be derived from the Spanish word "raya," which means "stripe" or "line." The name may have been given to someone who lived near a border or boundary, or perhaps someone who worked as a surveyor or mapper, marking out property lines or boundaries.

The earliest known record of the RAYAS surname can be found in the archives of the city of Seville, dated back to 1492. In these records, a man named Juan RAYAS is listed as a landowner in the region. It's possible that this Juan RAYAS was a surveyor or mapper who acquired his surname due to his profession.

In the 16th century, the RAYAS name spread throughout Spain, with records indicating families of this surname residing in various regions, including Andalusia, Catalonia, and Valencia. One notable individual from this time period was Pedro RAYAS (1520-1589), a merchant and trader who established a successful business exporting Spanish goods to the Americas.

As Spanish explorers and settlers ventured to the New World, the RAYAS surname also made its way across the Atlantic. In the 17th century, records show a Francisco RAYAS as one of the early settlers in the Spanish colony of Mexico. His descendants continued to use the RAYAS surname, and it became well-established in regions like Veracruz and Puebla.

Another notable figure from this period was Juana RAYAS (1635-1710), a renowned painter and artist who lived in Seville. Her works, which often depicted religious scenes and portraits, can still be found in churches and museums throughout Spain.

In the 18th century, the RAYAS name appeared in various parts of the Spanish Empire, including the Philippines and Latin America. One prominent individual was Manuel RAYAS (1745-1821), a military officer who served in the Spanish army during the Napoleonic Wars.

As the centuries passed, the RAYAS surname continued to be found in various regions of Spain and its former colonies. Some other noteworthy individuals bearing this name include María RAYAS (1860-1932), a celebrated poet and writer from Andalusia, and Carlos RAYAS (1895-1978), a renowned architect who designed several landmark buildings in Mexico City.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Rayas

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Rayas.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Rayas was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Rayas has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Rayas was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Rayas, please contact us.

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!