2000
#3,671
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,891
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.30
Uncommon Last name
Razo
A Spanish surname derived from the word "raso," meaning smooth, flat, or even.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 13,378 Americans carry the last name Razo. That puts it at #3,010 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.90 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 25,621 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Razo 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
13K
1 in 25,621
Census rank
#3,010
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
12K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 11,666 bearers of the surname Razo in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.90 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3010th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Razo, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 92.1%. The next largest groups are White (5.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Razo
The surname Razo has its origins in the Iberian Peninsula, specifically in the regions of modern-day Spain and Portugal, dating back to the medieval era. It is believed to be derived from the Latin word "rasus," meaning shaved or smooth, possibly referring to a physical characteristic or occupation of an ancestor.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Razo can be found in the medieval Spanish document known as the Becerro de las Behetrias, a census-like record from the 14th century. This document mentions several individuals with the surname Razo, indicating its presence in the region during that time period.
In the 15th century, there are records of a nobleman named Pedro Razo who owned land and property in the Spanish region of Castile. His descendants continued to use the surname and contributed to its spread throughout the region.
During the 16th century, the Razo surname appeared in various documents and records from the Spanish Inquisition, suggesting that individuals with this name were involved in the religious and political conflicts of that era.
One notable figure with the surname Razo was Juan Razo, a Spanish explorer and conquistador who participated in the conquest of the Americas in the late 15th and early 16th centuries. He accompanied Hernán Cortés on his expeditions to Mexico and played a role in the subjugation of the Aztec Empire.
In the 18th century, a prominent Portuguese scientist and mathematician named José Razo contributed significantly to the fields of astronomy and navigation. He was born in Lisbon in 1720 and made important calculations and observations that aided in the development of maritime navigation techniques.
Another individual of note was María Razo, a Spanish writer and poet who lived in the 19th century. Born in Seville in 1825, she gained recognition for her poetic works that explored themes of love, nature, and the human condition.
Additionally, the surname Razo has been associated with various place names and geographical locations in Spain and Portugal, such as the town of Razo in the Spanish province of Galicia and the village of Razo in the Portuguese region of Beira Alta.
Throughout history, the surname Razo has been spelled in various ways, including Raso, Razzo, and Razo, reflecting the linguistic and regional variations within the Iberian Peninsula and its former colonies.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Razo
Among Census respondents with the surname Razo, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 92.1%. The next largest groups are White (5.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Razo 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 Razo surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino92.1% · 10,742
- White5.4% · 626
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.3% · 156
- Two or more races0.5% · 56
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 55
- Black or African American0.3% · 31
Timeline
Historical Census data for Razo
Razo 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
#2,960
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,125
+3,234 bearers (+36.4%)
Per 100,000 4.11
Rank movement Up 711 places
2020
#3,010
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,666
-459 bearers (-3.8%)
Per 100,000 3.90
Rank movement Down 50 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,671 | 8,891 | 3.30 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,960 | 12,125 | 4.11 | +3,234 bearers (+36.4%) | Up 711 places |
| 2020 | #3,010 | 11,666 | 3.90 | -459 bearers (-3.8%) | Down 50 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 Razo 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 | #2,960 | #3,010 | -1.7% |
| Count | 12,125 | 11,666 | -3.8% |
| Per 100K | 4.11 | 3.90 | -5.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Razo bearers went from 12,125 to 11,666 (-3.8% change). The surname moved down 50 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,960 to #3,010.
FAQ
Razo surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Razo?
Name Census estimates that about 13,378 living Americans carry the surname Razo. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 25,621 residents.
How common is Razo?
Razo ranks #3,010 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.90 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 11,666 people with the surname Razo. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (13,378), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.9 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.90 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Razo.
Has Razo become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Razo went from 12,125 recorded bearers to 11,666. That is a decrease of 459 (-3.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,960 to #3,010.
What does the Census say about the background of Razo?
Among Census respondents with the surname Razo, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 92.1%. The next largest groups are White (5.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.3%). 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 Razo in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.1% (10,742 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Razo appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (92.1%), White (5.4%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.3%). 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 Razo (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 Razo mean?
A Spanish surname derived from the word "raso," meaning smooth, flat, or even. 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 Razo (3.90 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 share the surname Razo?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.