2010
#134,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 125
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Avital
An Israeli surname of Hebrew origin meaning "spring" or "brook".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 178 Americans carry the last name Avital. That puts it at #118,445 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.05 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,925,586 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Avital 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
178
1 in 1,925,586
Census rank
#118,445
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
155
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 155 bearers of the surname Avital in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.05 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 118445th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Avital, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.6%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Avital
The surname Avital has its origins in the Jewish communities of the Middle East, particularly those found in modern-day Israel, Syria, and Lebanon. It is believed to have emerged during the medieval period, sometime between the 10th and 13th centuries. The name is derived from the Hebrew phrase "Av Tov," which translates to "good father" or "father of goodness."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Avital surname can be traced back to the 11th century, when a scholar named Rabbi Yitzhak Avital was mentioned in a manuscript from the city of Tyre, located in present-day Lebanon. This document provided insights into the religious teachings and philosophical discussions of the time.
In the 13th century, a prominent figure named Avital ben Avraham emerged as a respected Jewish scholar and poet in the city of Jerusalem. His works, which included religious texts and poetic compositions, were widely circulated and contributed to the preservation of Jewish culture during that era.
As the Jewish diaspora spread across Europe and other regions, the Avital surname traveled with them. In the 16th century, a notable rabbi named Avital Tzarfati, born in France, gained recognition for his expertise in Jewish law and his contributions to the study of the Torah.
One of the most influential figures bearing the Avital surname was Rabbi Shlomo Avital, who lived in the 17th century. He was a respected authority on Kabbalah, the Jewish mystical tradition, and his teachings had a significant impact on the development of Jewish mysticism in that era.
Another notable individual with the Avital surname was Yitzchak Avital, a 19th-century scholar and writer from the city of Safed in present-day Israel. His works focused on Jewish ethics and moral teachings, and his writings were widely studied in religious circles.
Throughout history, the Avital surname has been associated with various place names and locations where Jewish communities thrived. Some examples include the town of Avital in modern-day Israel, as well as the village of Avital in Lebanon, which was once home to a vibrant Jewish population.
Overall, the surname Avital has a rich history rooted in the Jewish traditions and intellectual pursuits of the Middle East and the Mediterranean region. Its enduring legacy reflects the contributions of scholars, rabbis, and writers who helped shape and preserve Jewish culture over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Avital
Among Census respondents with the surname Avital, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.6%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Avital 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 Avital surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.3% · 143
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 4
- Two or more races2.6% · 4
- Black or African American1.3% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.3% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Avital
Avital appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#118,445
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 155
+30 bearers (+24.0%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 16,267 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #134,712 | 125 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #118,445 | 155 | 0.05 | +30 bearers (+24.0%) | Up 16,267 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 Avital 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 | #134,712 | #118,445 | 12.1% |
| Count | 125 | 155 | 24.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.05 | 29.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Avital bearers went from 125 to 155 (+24.0% change). The surname moved up 16,267 positions in the national ranking, going from #134,712 to #118,445.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Avital
FAQ
Avital surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Avital?
Name Census estimates that about 178 living Americans carry the surname Avital. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,925,586 residents.
How common is Avital?
Avital ranks #118,445 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.05 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 155 people with the surname Avital. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (178), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.05 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.05 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 Avital.
Has Avital become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Avital went from 125 recorded bearers to 155. That is an increase of 30 (+24.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #134,712 to #118,445.
What does the Census say about the background of Avital?
Among Census respondents with the surname Avital, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.6%) and Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Avital in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.3% (143 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Avital appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.3%), Hispanic (2.6%), Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Avital (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 Avital mean?
An Israeli surname of Hebrew origin meaning "spring" or "brook". 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 Avital (0.05 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 Avital?
You can see how many people have the last name Avital on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.