2000
#20,497
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,203
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.45
Rare Last name
Rayas
A surname of Hispanic origin meaning "stripes" or "streaks".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,118 Americans carry the last name Rayas. That puts it at #15,296 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.62 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 161,829 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Rayas 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
2.1K
1 in 161,829
Census rank
#15,296
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,847 bearers of the surname Rayas in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.62 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15296th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Rayas, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 93.4%. The next largest groups are White (5.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Rayas
Among Census respondents with the surname Rayas, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 93.4%. The next largest groups are White (5.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Rayas 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 Rayas surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino93.4% · 1,726
- White5.3% · 98
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 8
- Black or African American0.3% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 5
- Two or more races0.3% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Rayas
Rayas 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
#15,527
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,885
+682 bearers (+56.7%)
Per 100,000 0.64
Rank movement Up 4,970 places
2020
#15,296
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,847
-38 bearers (-2.0%)
Per 100,000 0.62
Rank movement Up 231 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #20,497 | 1,203 | 0.45 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #15,527 | 1,885 | 0.64 | +682 bearers (+56.7%) | Up 4,970 places |
| 2020 | #15,296 | 1,847 | 0.62 | -38 bearers (-2.0%) | Up 231 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 Rayas 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 | #15,527 | #15,296 | 1.5% |
| Count | 1,885 | 1,847 | -2.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.64 | 0.62 | -3.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Rayas bearers went from 1,885 to 1,847 (-2.0% change). The surname moved up 231 positions in the national ranking, going from #15,527 to #15,296.
FAQ
Rayas surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Rayas?
Name Census estimates that about 2,118 living Americans carry the surname Rayas. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 161,829 residents.
How common is Rayas?
Rayas ranks #15,296 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.62 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 1,847 people with the surname Rayas. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,118), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.62 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.62 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 Rayas.
Has Rayas become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Rayas went from 1,885 recorded bearers to 1,847. That is a decrease of 38 (-2.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #15,527 to #15,296.
What does the Census say about the background of Rayas?
Among Census respondents with the surname Rayas, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 93.4%. The next largest groups are White (5.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.4%). 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 Rayas in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.4% (1,726 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Rayas appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (93.4%), White (5.3%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.4%). 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 Rayas (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 Rayas mean?
A surname of Hispanic origin meaning "stripes" or "streaks". 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 Rayas (0.62 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 Americans have the surname Rayas?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.