2000
#1,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 20,013
First available Census row
Per 100,000 7.42
Uncommon Last name
Ybarra
A Basque surname derived from the word "ibar" meaning "valley" or "meadow," likely referring to a person's place of origin.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 24,429 Americans carry the last name Ybarra. That puts it at #1,641 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 7.13 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 14,031 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ybarra 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
24K
1 in 14,031
Census rank
#1,641
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
7.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
21K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 21,303 bearers of the surname Ybarra in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 7.13 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1641st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ybarra, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 86.9%. The next largest groups are White (10.8%) and Two or More Races (0.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ybarra
The surname Ybarra originates from the Basque region of northern Spain and southwestern France, where it first emerged during the 7th century. The name is derived from the Basque words "ibar" meaning valley and "barri" meaning new, suggesting it may have initially referred to someone living in a newly settled valley.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Ybarra can be found in the Cartulario de San Millán de la Cogolla, a medieval manuscript from the Monastery of San Millán de la Cogolla in La Rioja, Spain, which dates back to the 11th century. The name appears several times in this document, indicating its presence in the region during that time period.
The Ybarra family played a significant role in the history of the Basque Country, with several notable members appearing in various historical records. One such figure was Juan de Ybarra, a prominent merchant and shipowner from Bilbao, who lived in the late 15th and early 16th centuries and was involved in maritime trade with the Americas.
Another notable individual was Tomás de Ybarra, a Spanish military officer and governor of Chile from 1629 to 1630. He was born in Bilbao in 1585 and played a crucial role in the defense of the Spanish colonies in South America during his tenure as governor.
In the 19th century, the Ybarra family established itself as one of the wealthiest and most influential families in Spain, with members such as José María Ybarra y de la Revilla (1808-1867), a prominent businessman and politician who served as a deputy in the Spanish parliament.
The name Ybarra can also be traced back to various place names in the Basque region, such as the town of Ibarranguelua, which means "new valley" in Basque. This connection suggests that the surname may have originated from individuals who hailed from or lived in these areas.
Other notable individuals with the surname Ybarra include the Spanish painter Gabriel de Ybarra (1668-1736), known for his religious works and portraits, and the Mexican writer and diplomat Alfonso Reyes Ybarra (1889-1959), who served as the Mexican ambassador to several countries and was a prominent figure in the Latin American literary world.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ybarra
Among Census respondents with the surname Ybarra, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 86.9%. The next largest groups are White (10.8%) and Two or More Races (0.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Ybarra 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 Ybarra surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino86.9% · 18,503
- White10.8% · 2,302
- Two or more races0.7% · 149
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 143
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 119
- Black or African American0.4% · 87
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ybarra
Ybarra 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
#1,619
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 22,211
+2,198 bearers (+11.0%)
Per 100,000 7.53
Rank movement Up 20 places
2020
#1,641
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 21,303
-908 bearers (-4.1%)
Per 100,000 7.13
Rank movement Down 22 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,639 | 20,013 | 7.42 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,619 | 22,211 | 7.53 | +2,198 bearers (+11.0%) | Up 20 places |
| 2020 | #1,641 | 21,303 | 7.13 | -908 bearers (-4.1%) | Down 22 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 Ybarra 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 | #1,619 | #1,641 | -1.4% |
| Count | 22,211 | 21,303 | -4.1% |
| Per 100K | 7.53 | 7.13 | -5.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ybarra bearers went from 22,211 to 21,303 (-4.1% change). The surname moved down 22 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,619 to #1,641.
FAQ
Ybarra surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ybarra?
Name Census estimates that about 24,429 living Americans carry the surname Ybarra. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 14,031 residents.
How common is Ybarra?
Ybarra ranks #1,641 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 7.13 per 100,000 residents, which is about 7 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 21,303 people with the surname Ybarra. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (24,429), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 7.13 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 7.13 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 7 of them to have the surname Ybarra.
Has Ybarra become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ybarra went from 22,211 recorded bearers to 21,303. That is a decrease of 908 (-4.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,619 to #1,641.
What does the Census say about the background of Ybarra?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ybarra, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 86.9%. The next largest groups are White (10.8%) and Two or More Races (0.7%). 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 Ybarra in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.9% (18,503 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ybarra appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (86.9%), White (10.8%), Two or More Races (0.7%). 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 Ybarra (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 Ybarra mean?
A Basque surname derived from the word "ibar" meaning "valley" or "meadow," likely referring to a person's place of origin. 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 Ybarra (7.13 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 have the last name Ybarra?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans have the surname Ybarra on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.