2000
#421
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 69,843
First available Census row
Per 100,000 25.89
Common Last name
Avila
Habitational surname referring to someone from any of the numerous places named Ávila in Spain.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 110,305 Americans carry the last name Avila. That puts it at #326 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 32.18 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 3,107 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Avila 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 Avila with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
110K
1 in 3,107
Census rank
#326
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
32.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
96K
common in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 96,191 bearers of the surname Avila in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 32.18 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 326th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Avila, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 90.3%. The next largest groups are White (7.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Avila
The surname Avila originated in Spain during the medieval period, specifically in the town of Avila, which is located in the Castile and León region. The name is derived from the Latin word "avilus," meaning "flat land" or "plain," which accurately describes the geography of the area.
The first recorded use of the surname Avila can be traced back to the 11th century, when it appeared in various medieval documents and records from the region. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Gonzalo de Avila, a prominent military leader who served under King Alfonso VI of León and Castile in the late 11th century.
During the Reconquista, the period when Christian kingdoms in the Iberian Peninsula fought to regain control from the Moors, the Avila surname gained prominence as many individuals with this name participated in the military campaigns. Notable figures from this era include Pedro de Avila, a 14th-century knight who fought in the Battle of Nájera, and Sancho de Avila, a 15th-century military commander who served under King Ferdinand II of Aragon.
The surname Avila is also associated with several religious figures, such as Juan de Avila, a 16th-century Spanish Catholic priest known as the "Apostle of Andalusia," and Gilberto de Avila, a 13th-century Archbishop of Valencia.
Other notable individuals with the Avila surname include Gil González de Avila, a 16th-century Spanish historian and chronicler, and Juan Tomás de Avila Alonso, a 17th-century Spanish painter known for his works in the Baroque style.
As the Spanish empire expanded throughout the centuries, the Avila surname spread to various regions, including Latin America, where it became prevalent in countries like Mexico, Argentina, and Chile.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Avila
Among Census respondents with the surname Avila, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 90.3%. The next largest groups are White (7.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Avila 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 Avila surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino90.3% · 86,853
- White7.3% · 7,048
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.2% · 1,138
- Black or African American0.5% · 493
- Two or more races0.4% · 400
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 259
Timeline
Historical Census data for Avila
Avila 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
#318
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 97,314
+27,471 bearers (+39.3%)
Per 100,000 32.99
Rank movement Up 103 places
2020
#326
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 96,191
-1,123 bearers (-1.2%)
Per 100,000 32.18
Rank movement Down 8 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #421 | 69,843 | 25.89 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #318 | 97,314 | 32.99 | +27,471 bearers (+39.3%) | Up 103 places |
| 2020 | #326 | 96,191 | 32.18 | -1,123 bearers (-1.2%) | Down 8 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 Avila 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 | #318 | #326 | -2.5% |
| Count | 97,314 | 96,191 | -1.2% |
| Per 100K | 32.99 | 32.18 | -2.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Avila bearers went from 97,314 to 96,191 (-1.2% change). The surname moved down 8 positions in the national ranking, going from #318 to #326.
FAQ
Avila surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Avila?
Name Census estimates that about 110,305 living Americans carry the surname Avila. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 3,107 residents.
How common is Avila?
Avila ranks #326 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Common." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 32.18 per 100,000 residents, which is about 32 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 96,191 people with the surname Avila. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (110,305), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 32.18 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 32.18 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 32 of them to have the surname Avila.
Has Avila become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Avila went from 97,314 recorded bearers to 96,191. That is a decrease of 1,123 (-1.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #318 to #326.
What does the Census say about the background of Avila?
Among Census respondents with the surname Avila, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 90.3%. The next largest groups are White (7.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.2%). 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 Avila in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.3% (86,853 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Avila appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (90.3%), White (7.3%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.2%). 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 Avila (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 Avila mean?
Habitational surname referring to someone from any of the numerous places named Ávila in Spain. 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 Avila (32.18 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 Avila?
If you just want to know how many Americans have the surname Avila, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.