2000
#388
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 73,970
First available Census row
Per 100,000 27.42
Common Last name
Navarro
A toponymic surname of Spanish origin referring to someone from the Navarre region in northern Spain.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 111,533 Americans carry the last name Navarro. That puts it at #321 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 32.54 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 3,073 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Navarro 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 Navarro with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
112K
1 in 3,073
Census rank
#321
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
32.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
97K
common in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 97,262 bearers of the surname Navarro in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 32.54 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 321st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Navarro, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 87.3%. The next largest groups are White (6.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Navarro
The surname Navarro originates from Spain, with roots dating back to the medieval period. It derives from the Spanish word "navarra," which refers to the historical Kingdom of Navarre, a region situated in the northern part of the Iberian Peninsula.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname Navarro can be traced back to the 12th century, when it appeared in various historical documents and records from the Kingdom of Navarre and surrounding areas. The name may have originated from an individual who hailed from the region or had some association with the kingdom.
One notable early reference to the surname Navarro can be found in the "Fuero de Navarra," a legal code compiled in the 13th century that governed the Kingdom of Navarre. The document mentions several individuals bearing the surname, indicating its widespread use during that time.
Throughout history, the surname Navarro has been associated with several prominent figures. One of the earliest was Pedro Navarro (1460-1528), a renowned Spanish military leader and naval commander who played a pivotal role in the conquest of Naples and the capture of Algiers.
Another notable individual was Martín de Navarro (1542-1618), a Spanish Jesuit priest and missionary who traveled to Japan and made significant contributions to the spread of Christianity in the region.
In the realm of literature, Miguel de Navarro (1605-1685), a Spanish dramatist and poet, left a lasting impact with his works, which included plays and poetic compositions.
During the 19th century, Juan Navarro Reverter (1844-1924), a Spanish politician and diplomat, served as the Prime Minister of Spain from 1905 to 1906.
Lastly, José Navarro (1897-1939), a Spanish anarchist and labor activist, played a significant role in the Spanish Civil War and the anarcho-syndicalist movement.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals who have carried the surname Navarro throughout history, showcasing its enduring presence and significance across various fields.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Navarro
Among Census respondents with the surname Navarro, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 87.3%. The next largest groups are White (6.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Navarro 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 Navarro surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino87.3% · 84,872
- White6.8% · 6,576
- Asian and Pacific Islander4.5% · 4,400
- Two or more races0.7% · 717
- Black or African American0.5% · 453
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 244
Timeline
Historical Census data for Navarro
Navarro 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
#315
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 99,807
+25,837 bearers (+34.9%)
Per 100,000 33.84
Rank movement Up 73 places
2020
#321
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 97,262
-2,545 bearers (-2.5%)
Per 100,000 32.54
Rank movement Down 6 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #388 | 73,970 | 27.42 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #315 | 99,807 | 33.84 | +25,837 bearers (+34.9%) | Up 73 places |
| 2020 | #321 | 97,262 | 32.54 | -2,545 bearers (-2.5%) | Down 6 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 Navarro 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 | #315 | #321 | -1.9% |
| Count | 99,807 | 97,262 | -2.5% |
| Per 100K | 33.84 | 32.54 | -3.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Navarro bearers went from 99,807 to 97,262 (-2.5% change). The surname moved down 6 positions in the national ranking, going from #315 to #321.
FAQ
Navarro surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Navarro?
Name Census estimates that about 111,533 living Americans carry the surname Navarro. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 3,073 residents.
How common is Navarro?
Navarro ranks #321 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Common." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 32.54 per 100,000 residents, which is about 33 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 97,262 people with the surname Navarro. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (111,533), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 32.54 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 32.54 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 33 of them to have the surname Navarro.
Has Navarro become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Navarro went from 99,807 recorded bearers to 97,262. That is a decrease of 2,545 (-2.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #315 to #321.
What does the Census say about the background of Navarro?
Among Census respondents with the surname Navarro, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 87.3%. The next largest groups are White (6.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.5%). 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 Navarro in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.3% (84,872 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Navarro appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (87.3%), White (6.8%), Asian/Pacific Islander (4.5%). 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 Navarro (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 Navarro mean?
A toponymic surname of Spanish origin referring to someone from the Navarre region in northern 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 Navarro (32.54 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 common is the surname Navarro?
If you just want to know how many people have the surname Navarro, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.