2000
#2,764
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,977
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.44
Uncommon Last name
Farias
A Portuguese and Spanish surname derived from the Latin word "ferrum," meaning "iron," likely referring to an ironworker or blacksmith.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 17,920 Americans carry the last name Farias. That puts it at #2,269 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 5.23 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 19,127 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Farias 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
18K
1 in 19,127
Census rank
#2,269
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
5.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
16K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 15,627 bearers of the surname Farias in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 5.23 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2269th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Farias, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 82.1%. The next largest groups are White (14.9%) and Two or More Races (1.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Farias
The surname Farias is believed to have originated in Portugal, with roots tracing back to the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Latin word "faria," which means "field" or "farmland." This suggests that the name may have been initially associated with individuals who lived or worked in rural areas.
In the early days, the name was often spelled as "Faria," and it is possible that the current spelling, "Farias," emerged as a result of regional variations or as a way to distinguish different branches of the family.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the "Livro Velho de Linhagens" (Old Book of Lineages), a Portuguese genealogical record dating back to the 14th century. This document mentions a nobleman named Gonçalo Farias, who lived during the reign of King Afonso III (1210-1279).
Another notable figure from history bearing this surname was António Farias, a Portuguese navigator who accompanied Vasco da Gama on his famous voyage to India in 1497-1499. Farias played a crucial role in the expedition as one of the ship's captains.
In the 16th century, the name Farias appeared in the records of the Inquisition in Portugal, indicating that some individuals with this surname were persecuted for their religious beliefs during that period.
As the Portuguese established colonies and trading outposts around the world, the surname Farias likely spread to other regions, particularly in South America and parts of Africa.
One prominent individual from the 19th century was Manuel Farias, a Brazilian politician and lawyer who served as the President of the Province of Rio Grande do Sul from 1854 to 1857.
In the realm of literature, José Rodrigues Farias (1793-1876) was a notable Portuguese poet and playwright, known for his contributions to the romantic movement in Portugal.
Another figure of historical significance was General Isidoro Farias (1814-1885), a military leader and politician from Mexico who played a role in the Reform War and the French Intervention in Mexico during the 1860s.
Overall, the surname Farias has a rich history spanning several centuries and continents, with its roots firmly planted in the Iberian Peninsula and a strong association with Portuguese heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Farias
Among Census respondents with the surname Farias, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 82.1%. The next largest groups are White (14.9%) and Two or More Races (1.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Farias 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 Farias surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino82.1% · 12,822
- White14.9% · 2,335
- Two or more races1.2% · 193
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.2% · 180
- Black or African American0.4% · 60
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 37
Timeline
Historical Census data for Farias
Farias 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
#2,252
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 16,153
+4,176 bearers (+34.9%)
Per 100,000 5.48
Rank movement Up 512 places
2020
#2,269
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 15,627
-526 bearers (-3.3%)
Per 100,000 5.23
Rank movement Down 17 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,764 | 11,977 | 4.44 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,252 | 16,153 | 5.48 | +4,176 bearers (+34.9%) | Up 512 places |
| 2020 | #2,269 | 15,627 | 5.23 | -526 bearers (-3.3%) | Down 17 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 Farias 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 | #2,252 | #2,269 | -0.8% |
| Count | 16,153 | 15,627 | -3.3% |
| Per 100K | 5.48 | 5.23 | -4.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Farias bearers went from 16,153 to 15,627 (-3.3% change). The surname moved down 17 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,252 to #2,269.
FAQ
Farias surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Farias?
Name Census estimates that about 17,920 living Americans carry the surname Farias. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 19,127 residents.
How common is Farias?
Farias ranks #2,269 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 5.23 per 100,000 residents, which is about 5 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 15,627 people with the surname Farias. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (17,920), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 5.23 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 5.23 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 5 of them to have the surname Farias.
Has Farias become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Farias went from 16,153 recorded bearers to 15,627. That is a decrease of 526 (-3.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,252 to #2,269.
What does the Census say about the background of Farias?
Among Census respondents with the surname Farias, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 82.1%. The next largest groups are White (14.9%) and Two or More Races (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 Farias in the 2020 Census, accounting for 82.1% (12,822 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Farias appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (82.1%), White (14.9%), Two or More Races (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 Farias (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 Farias mean?
A Portuguese and Spanish surname derived from the Latin word "ferrum," meaning "iron," likely referring to an ironworker or blacksmith. 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 Farias (5.23 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 Farias?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.