2000
#27,496
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 825
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.31
Very Rare Last name
Attard
A locational surname originating from Malta, derived from a place name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 998 Americans carry the last name Attard. That puts it at #29,042 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.29 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 343,441 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Attard 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 Attard with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
998
1 in 343,441
Census rank
#29,042
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
870
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 870 bearers of the surname Attard in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.29 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 29042nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Attard, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (2.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Attard
The surname Attard originated from the Mediterranean island of Malta, and it has its roots in the Arabic language. The name can be traced back to the Middle Ages when Malta was under Arab rule between the 9th and 11th centuries. The name is derived from the Arabic word "attari," which translates to "perfumer" or "spice merchant," indicating that the original bearers of this surname were likely involved in the trade of spices, perfumes, or other aromatic goods.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Attard can be found in the "Militia Muster Rolls" of 1419-1420, which were administrative records kept during the time of the Aragonese rule over Malta. The name appears in various spellings, such as "Attara," "Attar," and "Attard," reflecting the linguistic influences of different ruling powers on the island.
During the 16th century, when Malta came under the control of the Knights of St. John, the Attard surname gained prominence. The village of Attard, located in the central region of Malta, was named after a prominent family bearing this surname. The village's name is first mentioned in official records dating back to 1529.
One of the notable individuals with the surname Attard was Nicolo Attard, a Maltese architect who lived between the late 16th and early 17th centuries. He was responsible for designing several prominent buildings in Malta, including the Sacra Infermeria (the Holy Infirmary) within the city of Valletta, which was completed in 1574.
Another significant figure was Antonio Attard, a Maltese artist and sculptor who lived from 1667 to 1731. He is renowned for his contributions to the Baroque style of art, and his works can be found in numerous churches and palaces across Malta.
In the 19th century, Antonio Attard Palombo (1836-1905) was a prominent Maltese writer and journalist. He played a crucial role in the development of Maltese literature and was a strong advocate for the preservation of the Maltese language and culture.
More recently, Lino Attard (1900-1982) was a Maltese politician who served as the Prime Minister of Malta from 1976 to 1981. He was instrumental in leading Malta to independence from the United Kingdom in 1964 and played a significant role in shaping the country's post-independence policies.
Throughout history, the surname Attard has also been found in various regions outside of Malta, particularly in countries with historical ties to the island, such as Italy and France. However, its origins and most prominent bearers can be traced back to the island of Malta and its rich cultural heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Attard
Among Census respondents with the surname Attard, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (2.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Attard 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 Attard surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.6% · 806
- Hispanic or Latino3.9% · 34
- Two or more races2.3% · 20
- Black or African American0.6% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Attard
Attard 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
#27,392
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 881
+56 bearers (+6.8%)
Per 100,000 0.30
Rank movement Up 104 places
2020
#29,042
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 870
-11 bearers (-1.2%)
Per 100,000 0.29
Rank movement Down 1,650 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #27,496 | 825 | 0.31 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #27,392 | 881 | 0.30 | +56 bearers (+6.8%) | Up 104 places |
| 2020 | #29,042 | 870 | 0.29 | -11 bearers (-1.2%) | Down 1,650 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 Attard 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 | #27,392 | #29,042 | -6.0% |
| Count | 881 | 870 | -1.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.30 | 0.29 | -3.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Attard bearers went from 881 to 870 (-1.2% change). The surname moved down 1,650 positions in the national ranking, going from #27,392 to #29,042.
FAQ
Attard surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Attard?
Name Census estimates that about 998 living Americans carry the surname Attard. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 343,441 residents.
How common is Attard?
Attard ranks #29,042 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.29 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 870 people with the surname Attard. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (998), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.29 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.29 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 Attard.
Has Attard become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Attard went from 881 recorded bearers to 870. That is a decrease of 11 (-1.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #27,392 to #29,042.
What does the Census say about the background of Attard?
Among Census respondents with the surname Attard, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (2.3%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Attard in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.6% (806 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Attard appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.6%), Hispanic (3.9%), Two or More Races (2.3%). 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 Attard (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 Attard mean?
A locational surname originating from Malta, derived from a place name. 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 Attard (0.29 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 surname Attard?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.