2000
#213
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 126,399
First available Census row
Per 100,000 46.86
Common Last name
Aguilar
A Spanish occupational surname referring to a person who breeds eagles or catches birds of prey.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 207,213 Americans carry the last name Aguilar. That puts it at #138 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 60.46 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,654 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Aguilar 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Aguilar with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
207K
1 in 1,654
Census rank
#138
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
60.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
181K
common in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 180,700 bearers of the surname Aguilar in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 60.46 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 138th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Aguilar, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 92.4%. The next largest groups are White (4.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Aguilar
The surname Aguilar originated in Spain and is derived from the Spanish word "águila," meaning "eagle." It arose as a locational surname, often given to someone who lived near an eagle's nest or a place associated with eagles.
The name traces its roots back to the 13th century, with early records showing variations like Aguilera and Aguilario in regions like Aragon, Castile, and Andalusia. These areas were once home to large populations of eagles, which may have influenced the naming convention.
One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Pedro Aguilar, a Spanish nobleman and military commander who served under King Alfonso X in the 13th century. He played a crucial role in the Reconquista, the campaign to reclaim Spain from Moorish control.
In the 15th century, the Aguilar family gained prominence in the city of Córdoba, where they established themselves as a noble and influential clan. Juan Aguilar (1470-1545), a member of this family, was a renowned poet and humanist scholar during the Renaissance era.
The name also has a connection to the Spanish conquistadors who explored and colonized the Americas. Jerónimo de Aguilar (1489-1531) was a Spanish missionary who accompanied Hernán Cortés on his expedition to Mexico in 1519. He played a crucial role as an interpreter and mediator between the Spanish and the indigenous populations.
Another notable figure was Gaspar de Aguilar (1561-1623), a Spanish naval commander and explorer who led several expeditions to the Pacific Ocean and the Philippines in the late 16th and early 17th centuries.
In the realm of literature, the name is associated with the Spanish writer and philosopher Miguel de Aguilar (1718-1784), known for his works on ethics and moral philosophy.
As the Spanish empire expanded, the Aguilar surname spread to various parts of the world, including Latin America, where it remains a common surname today. Notable bearers include Manuel Aguilar (1865-1927), a Mexican revolutionary and politician, and Paloma Aguilar (born 1975), a Mexican actress and television host.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Aguilar
Among Census respondents with the surname Aguilar, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 92.4%. The next largest groups are White (4.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Aguilar 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 Aguilar surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino92.4% · 166,993
- White4.5% · 8,070
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.9% · 3,419
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 947
- Two or more races0.4% · 706
- Black or African American0.3% · 565
Timeline
Historical Census data for Aguilar
Aguilar 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
#134
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 186,512
+60,113 bearers (+47.6%)
Per 100,000 63.23
Rank movement Up 79 places
2020
#138
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 180,700
-5,812 bearers (-3.1%)
Per 100,000 60.46
Rank movement Down 4 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #213 | 126,399 | 46.86 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #134 | 186,512 | 63.23 | +60,113 bearers (+47.6%) | Up 79 places |
| 2020 | #138 | 180,700 | 60.46 | -5,812 bearers (-3.1%) | Down 4 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 Aguilar 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 | #134 | #138 | -3.0% |
| Count | 186,512 | 180,700 | -3.1% |
| Per 100K | 63.23 | 60.46 | -4.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Aguilar bearers went from 186,512 to 180,700 (-3.1% change). The surname moved down 4 positions in the national ranking, going from #134 to #138.
FAQ
Aguilar surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Aguilar?
Name Census estimates that about 207,213 living Americans carry the surname Aguilar. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,654 residents.
How common is Aguilar?
Aguilar ranks #138 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Common." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 60.46 per 100,000 residents, which is about 60 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 180,700 people with the surname Aguilar. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (207,213), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 60.46 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 60.46 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 60 of them to have the surname Aguilar.
Has Aguilar become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Aguilar went from 186,512 recorded bearers to 180,700. That is a decrease of 5,812 (-3.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #134 to #138.
What does the Census say about the background of Aguilar?
Among Census respondents with the surname Aguilar, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 92.4%. The next largest groups are White (4.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%). 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 Aguilar in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.4% (166,993 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Aguilar appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (92.4%), White (4.5%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%). 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 Aguilar (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 Aguilar mean?
A Spanish occupational surname referring to a person who breeds eagles or catches birds of prey. 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 Aguilar (60.46 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 are called Aguilar?
Want to know how many Americans have the surname Aguilar? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.