2000
#6,802
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,565
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.69
Rare Last name
Roa
A Spanish toponymic surname indicating a person who lived near or worked in a field or pasture.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 7,363 Americans carry the last name Roa. That puts it at #5,245 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.15 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 46,551 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Roa 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
7.4K
1 in 46,551
Census rank
#5,245
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,421 bearers of the surname Roa in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.15 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5245th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Roa, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 82.8%. The next largest groups are White (8.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (7.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Roa
The surname Roa originated in Spain and Portugal, tracing its roots back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Spanish word "roa," which means "threshing floor" or "area where crops are processed." This suggests that the name may have been initially associated with individuals who worked on farms or in agriculture-related professions.
In the early days, the surname Roa was often spelled with variations such as Roca, Roda, or Rocha, reflecting the different regional dialects and linguistic influences of the time. These alternative spellings can be found in historical records and documents from various parts of the Iberian Peninsula.
One of the earliest known references to the surname Roa can be found in the Chronicles of Alfonso X, the Wise, a 13th-century Castilian king. This document mentions a nobleman named Fernán Rodríguez de Roa, who served as a royal advisor and military commander during the king's reign.
Another notable figure with the surname Roa was Pedro de Roa, a 16th-century Spanish playwright and poet. Born in Cordoba in 1552, he is renowned for his contributions to the Golden Age of Spanish literature and his works that explored themes of love, honor, and morality.
In the 17th century, Juan de Roa Dávila, a Spanish priest and historian, gained recognition for his writings on the history of the city of Cordoba. His book, "Teatro de las Grandezas de la Villa de Madrid," published in 1623, provided valuable insights into the cultural and architectural heritage of the Spanish capital.
Another prominent individual with the surname Roa was Martín de Roa y Camargo, a 17th-century Spanish military engineer and architect. He was responsible for designing and overseeing the construction of several fortifications and defensive structures in various Spanish territories, including the renowned Castillo de San Marcos in St. Augustine, Florida.
In the field of art, Juan Roa Dávila, a 17th-century Spanish painter, gained recognition for his religious works and portraits. He is particularly known for his paintings adorning the walls of the Cathedral of Cordoba, which showcase his mastery of the Baroque style.
While the surname Roa has its origins in the Iberian Peninsula, it has since spread to various parts of the world due to migration and exploration. Today, individuals bearing this surname can be found in countries like Mexico, Colombia, and other Latin American nations, as well as in communities with Spanish and Portuguese heritage worldwide.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Roa
Among Census respondents with the surname Roa, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 82.8%. The next largest groups are White (8.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (7.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Roa 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 Roa surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino82.8% · 5,315
- White8.0% · 511
- Asian and Pacific Islander7.8% · 499
- Two or more races0.7% · 47
- Black or African American0.5% · 29
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 20
Timeline
Historical Census data for Roa
Roa 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
#5,589
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,221
+1,656 bearers (+36.3%)
Per 100,000 2.11
Rank movement Up 1,213 places
2020
#5,245
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,421
+200 bearers (+3.2%)
Per 100,000 2.15
Rank movement Up 344 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,802 | 4,565 | 1.69 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,589 | 6,221 | 2.11 | +1,656 bearers (+36.3%) | Up 1,213 places |
| 2020 | #5,245 | 6,421 | 2.15 | +200 bearers (+3.2%) | Up 344 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 Roa 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 | #5,589 | #5,245 | 6.2% |
| Count | 6,221 | 6,421 | 3.2% |
| Per 100K | 2.11 | 2.15 | 1.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Roa bearers went from 6,221 to 6,421 (+3.2% change). The surname moved up 344 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,589 to #5,245.
FAQ
Roa surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Roa?
Name Census estimates that about 7,363 living Americans carry the surname Roa. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 46,551 residents.
How common is Roa?
Roa ranks #5,245 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.15 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 6,421 people with the surname Roa. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (7,363), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.15 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.15 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 Roa.
Has Roa become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Roa went from 6,221 recorded bearers to 6,421. That is an increase of 200 (+3.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #5,589 to #5,245.
What does the Census say about the background of Roa?
Among Census respondents with the surname Roa, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 82.8%. The next largest groups are White (8.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (7.8%). 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 Roa in the 2020 Census, accounting for 82.8% (5,315 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Roa appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (82.8%), White (8.0%), Asian/Pacific Islander (7.8%). 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 Roa (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 Roa mean?
A Spanish toponymic surname indicating a person who lived near or worked in a field or pasture. 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 Roa (2.15 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 Roa?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.