2000
#27,562
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 823
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.31
Rare Last name
Agbayani
A Filipino surname referring to someone from the town of Agbayani in the Philippines' Ilocos Norte province.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,360 Americans carry the last name Agbayani. That puts it at #22,267 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.40 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 252,025 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Agbayani 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
1.4K
1 in 252,025
Census rank
#22,267
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,186 bearers of the surname Agbayani in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.40 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 22267th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Agbayani, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 84.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.6%) and Hispanic (4.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Agbayani
The surname AGBAYANI is of Filipino origin, tracing its roots back to the early 16th century. This name is believed to have originated from the Tagalog language, which is spoken primarily in the Philippines. The prefix "ag" in Tagalog often denotes a place of origin, while "bayani" translates to "hero" or "brave one."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the AGBAYANI surname can be found in a Spanish colonial document from the 1600s, which mentions a man named Juan AGBAYANI as a local leader in a village near Manila. It is speculated that this individual or his ancestors may have earned the honorific title "bayani" for acts of valor or service to their community.
During the Spanish colonial era in the Philippines, which lasted from the 16th to the 19th century, many Filipino surnames were influenced by Spanish orthography and spelling conventions. As a result, the AGBAYANI surname may have evolved from earlier variations such as "Agbayan" or "Agbayan."
In the late 19th century, a notable figure bearing the AGBAYANI surname was Teodoro AGBAYANI (1854-1931), a Filipino poet and playwright who played a significant role in the development of Philippine literature during the Spanish colonial period. His works, written in Tagalog, often depicted the struggles and aspirations of the Filipino people during that time.
Another prominent individual with the AGBAYANI surname was Gregorio AGBAYANI (1886-1952), a Filipino politician and lawyer who served as a member of the Philippine Senate from 1925 to 1931. He was a staunch advocate for Philippine independence and played a crucial role in the country's transition from a U.S. territory to a commonwealth.
In more recent history, Lilia AGBAYANI (1923-2021) was a renowned Filipino educator and author who dedicated her life to promoting literacy and education in the Philippines. She authored numerous textbooks and educational materials that were widely used in schools across the country.
It is also worth noting that the AGBAYANI surname has been associated with various place names within the Philippines, such as Barangay Agbayani, a village located in the province of Laguna, and Agbayani Street, a thoroughfare in the city of Quezon City.
While the AGBAYANI surname is primarily concentrated in the Philippines, it has also spread to other parts of the world due to migration and diaspora communities. However, the historical roots and significance of this name remain deeply intertwined with the rich cultural heritage and linguistic traditions of the Philippine archipelago.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Agbayani
Among Census respondents with the surname Agbayani, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 84.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.6%) and Hispanic (4.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Agbayani 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 Agbayani surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander84.7% · 1,005
- Two or more races7.6% · 90
- Hispanic or Latino4.0% · 48
- White3.6% · 43
Timeline
Historical Census data for Agbayani
Agbayani 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
#23,251
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,096
+273 bearers (+33.2%)
Per 100,000 0.37
Rank movement Up 4,311 places
2020
#22,267
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,186
+90 bearers (+8.2%)
Per 100,000 0.40
Rank movement Up 984 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #27,562 | 823 | 0.31 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #23,251 | 1,096 | 0.37 | +273 bearers (+33.2%) | Up 4,311 places |
| 2020 | #22,267 | 1,186 | 0.40 | +90 bearers (+8.2%) | Up 984 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 Agbayani 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 | #23,251 | #22,267 | 4.2% |
| Count | 1,096 | 1,186 | 8.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.37 | 0.40 | 7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Agbayani bearers went from 1,096 to 1,186 (+8.2% change). The surname moved up 984 positions in the national ranking, going from #23,251 to #22,267.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Agbayani
FAQ
Agbayani surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Agbayani?
Name Census estimates that about 1,360 living Americans carry the surname Agbayani. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 252,025 residents.
How common is Agbayani?
Agbayani ranks #22,267 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.40 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,186 people with the surname Agbayani. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,360), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.4 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.40 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Agbayani.
Has Agbayani become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Agbayani went from 1,096 recorded bearers to 1,186. That is an increase of 90 (+8.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #23,251 to #22,267.
What does the Census say about the background of Agbayani?
Among Census respondents with the surname Agbayani, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 84.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.6%) and Hispanic (4.0%). 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Agbayani in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.7% (1,005 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Agbayani appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (84.7%), Two or More Races (7.6%), Hispanic (4.0%). 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 Agbayani (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 Agbayani mean?
A Filipino surname referring to someone from the town of Agbayani in the Philippines' Ilocos Norte province. 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 Agbayani (0.40 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 Agbayani?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.