2000
#24,724
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 946
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.35
Rare Last name
Miro
A surname of Spanish origin meaning "I look" or "I watch".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,494 Americans carry the last name Miro. That puts it at #20,595 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.44 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 229,421 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Miro 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
1.5K
1 in 229,421
Census rank
#20,595
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,303 bearers of the surname Miro in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.44 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 20595th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Miro, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 57.3%. The next largest groups are White (34.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Miro
The surname Miro has its origins in Spain, with roots dating back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have originated from the Catalan and Spanish personal name Mir, which itself is derived from the Latin word "mirus" meaning "wonderful" or "admirable."
In the early medieval period, the name Miro was particularly prevalent in the regions of Catalonia and Valencia, where it was borne by several notable figures. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the "Codex Diplomaticus" of the Monastery of Sant Cugat del Vallès, which mentions a nobleman named Miro who lived in the late 9th century.
During the 11th and 12th centuries, the name Miro gained further prominence with the rise of the Count-Kings of Barcelona and the expansion of the Crown of Aragon. One notable bearer of the name was Ramón Berenguer III, Count of Barcelona, who was also known as Ramón Berenguer el Gran (the Great) and ruled from 1097 to 1131. His daughter, Petronila, was married to the King of Aragon, Ramiro II, furthering the spread of the name Miro across the region.
In the 13th century, the name appears in various historical documents, including the "Llibre de Repartiment de València," which recorded the names of those who participated in the conquest and distribution of lands in the Kingdom of Valencia. Several place names in Spain, such as Miró and Miróbriga, are believed to have been derived from the surname Miro or its variants.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals bearing the surname Miro. Joan Miró (1893-1983) was a renowned Spanish painter, sculptor, and ceramicist, widely considered one of the most influential figures in modern art. Another notable bearer of the name was Gerardo Miro (1827-1895), a Spanish politician and writer who served as the Mayor of Barcelona.
Other historical figures with the surname Miro include Gabriel Miro (1879-1930), a Spanish novelist and poet known for his works such as "Las Figuras de la Pasión del Señor" and "El Obispo Leproso." Juan Miro (1856-1924) was a Spanish painter and illustrator, best known for his works depicting scenes from rural life in Valencia.
In the realm of sports, José Miro (1905-1966) was a Spanish football player who played as a forward for clubs like Real Madrid and the Spanish national team in the 1920s and 1930s.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Miro
Among Census respondents with the surname Miro, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 57.3%. The next largest groups are White (34.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Miro 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 Miro surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino57.3% · 746
- White34.8% · 454
- Asian and Pacific Islander4.4% · 57
- Black or African American2.3% · 30
- Two or more races1.2% · 16
Timeline
Historical Census data for Miro
Miro 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
#22,404
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,149
+203 bearers (+21.5%)
Per 100,000 0.39
Rank movement Up 2,320 places
2020
#20,595
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,303
+154 bearers (+13.4%)
Per 100,000 0.44
Rank movement Up 1,809 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #24,724 | 946 | 0.35 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #22,404 | 1,149 | 0.39 | +203 bearers (+21.5%) | Up 2,320 places |
| 2020 | #20,595 | 1,303 | 0.44 | +154 bearers (+13.4%) | Up 1,809 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 Miro 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 | #22,404 | #20,595 | 8.1% |
| Count | 1,149 | 1,303 | 13.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.39 | 0.44 | 11.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Miro bearers went from 1,149 to 1,303 (+13.4% change). The surname moved up 1,809 positions in the national ranking, going from #22,404 to #20,595.
FAQ
Miro surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Miro?
Name Census estimates that about 1,494 living Americans carry the surname Miro. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 229,421 residents.
How common is Miro?
Miro ranks #20,595 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.44 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 1,303 people with the surname Miro. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,494), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.44 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.44 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 Miro.
Has Miro become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Miro went from 1,149 recorded bearers to 1,303. That is an increase of 154 (+13.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #22,404 to #20,595.
What does the Census say about the background of Miro?
Among Census respondents with the surname Miro, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 57.3%. The next largest groups are White (34.8%) 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Miro in the 2020 Census, accounting for 57.3% (746 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Miro appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (57.3%), White (34.8%), 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 Miro (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 Miro mean?
A surname of Spanish origin meaning "I look" or "I watch". 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 Miro (0.44 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 Miro?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the last name Miro on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.