2000
#66,878
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 276
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.10
Very Rare Last name
Avalon
A surname derived from the legendary island of Avalon from Arthurian legends.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 388 Americans carry the last name Avalon. That puts it at #63,720 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.11 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 883,387 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Avalon 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
388
1 in 883,387
Census rank
#63,720
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
338
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 338 bearers of the surname Avalon in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.11 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 63720th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Avalon, the largest self-reported group is White at 70.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (20.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Avalon
The surname Avalon has its origins in the British Isles, particularly in England and Wales. It is believed to have derived from the place name Avalon, which was a legendary island featured prominently in Arthurian legends. The name Avalon is thought to be derived from the Welsh words "afal" meaning apple and "ynys" meaning island, suggesting the Isle of Apples.
Avalon was first mentioned in the 12th century by the Norman-French poet Wace in his work "Roman de Brut." He described it as the island to which King Arthur was taken after being mortally wounded in battle. Avalon was also referenced in the works of other medieval writers such as Chrétien de Troyes and Geoffrey of Monmouth, solidifying its place in Arthurian mythology.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname Avalon can be traced back to the late 13th century. In 1296, a John de Avalon is mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire. Another early record is from 1327, when a Richard Avalon is listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Cambridgeshire.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the surname Avalon. One of the earliest was Sir John Avalon (1410-1480), a prominent English knight and landowner during the Wars of the Roses. Another was William Avalon (1562-1626), an English theologian and scholar who served as the Regius Professor of Divinity at Cambridge University.
In the 19th century, John Timbrell Avalon (1825-1898) was a renowned English architect responsible for designing several churches and public buildings in London. Sir Thomas Avalon (1836-1912) was a British politician and businessman who served as a Member of Parliament for Southwark.
More recently, Arthur Avalon (1865-1939), whose birth name was Sir John Woodroffe, was a prominent scholar of Hinduism and Sanskrit literature. He wrote extensively on Hindu philosophy and tantra under his pseudonym.
Throughout its history, the surname Avalon has maintained its connection to the legendary island of Arthurian lore, evoking a sense of mystery and enchantment. While its origins are rooted in medieval Britain, the name has endured and spread across the globe, carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds and walks of life.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Avalon
Among Census respondents with the surname Avalon, the largest self-reported group is White at 70.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (20.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Avalon 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 Avalon surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White70.1% · 237
- Hispanic or Latino20.7% · 70
- Asian and Pacific Islander4.4% · 15
- Two or more races4.1% · 14
- Black or African American0.3% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Avalon
Avalon 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
#61,745
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 325
+49 bearers (+17.8%)
Per 100,000 0.11
Rank movement Up 5,133 places
2020
#63,720
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 338
+13 bearers (+4.0%)
Per 100,000 0.11
Rank movement Down 1,975 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #66,878 | 276 | 0.10 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #61,745 | 325 | 0.11 | +49 bearers (+17.8%) | Up 5,133 places |
| 2020 | #63,720 | 338 | 0.11 | +13 bearers (+4.0%) | Down 1,975 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 Avalon 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 | #61,745 | #63,720 | -3.2% |
| Count | 325 | 338 | 4.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.11 | 0.11 | 2.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Avalon bearers went from 325 to 338 (+4.0% change). The surname moved down 1,975 positions in the national ranking, going from #61,745 to #63,720.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Avalon
FAQ
Avalon surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Avalon?
Name Census estimates that about 388 living Americans carry the surname Avalon. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 883,387 residents.
How common is Avalon?
Avalon ranks #63,720 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.11 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 338 people with the surname Avalon. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (388), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.11 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.11 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 Avalon.
Has Avalon become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Avalon went from 325 recorded bearers to 338. That is an increase of 13 (+4.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #61,745 to #63,720.
What does the Census say about the background of Avalon?
Among Census respondents with the surname Avalon, the largest self-reported group is White at 70.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (20.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.4%). 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 Avalon in the 2020 Census, accounting for 70.1% (237 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Avalon appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (70.1%), Hispanic (20.7%), Asian/Pacific Islander (4.4%). 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 Avalon (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 Avalon mean?
A surname derived from the legendary island of Avalon from Arthurian legends. 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 Avalon (0.11 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 Avalon?
If you just want to know how many people have the surname Avalon, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.