2000
#109,328
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 150
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.06
Very Rare Last name
Novarro
A surname derived from the Spanish word "novarro", meaning someone from the town of Novara in Piedmont, Italy.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 297 Americans carry the last name Novarro. That puts it at #79,345 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.09 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,154,055 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Novarro 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
297
1 in 1,154,055
Census rank
#79,345
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
259
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 259 bearers of the surname Novarro in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.09 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 79345th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Novarro, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 49.0%. The next largest groups are White (48.6%) and Black (1.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Novarro
The surname Novarro is of Spanish origin, tracing its roots back to the medieval period in the Iberian Peninsula. It is believed to be derived from the Latin word "novus," meaning "new," potentially referring to a new settlement or place of residence. The earliest recorded instances of this surname can be found in various historical documents from the 13th and 14th centuries in Spain.
One of the earliest known bearers of the Novarro surname was Juan Novarro, a renowned scholar and physician who lived in Valencia during the 15th century. His contributions to the field of medicine were highly regarded, and his works were widely circulated throughout Europe at the time.
In the 16th century, the Novarro family gained prominence in the Spanish colonies of the Americas. One notable figure was Pedro Novarro, who served as a military commander and played a crucial role in the conquest of Mexico under the leadership of Hernán Cortés. Born in 1492 and died in 1548, Pedro Novarro's exploits were documented in various historical accounts of the era.
The surname Novarro also has connections to several place names in Spain, such as the town of Novarro in the province of Teruel, Aragon. This town's name is likely derived from the Latin term "novum oppidum," meaning "new town," further reinforcing the surname's origins.
In the 17th century, a prominent member of the Novarro family was Miguel Novarro, a renowned artist and architect who contributed significantly to the Baroque style of architecture in Spain. His masterpieces can be found in various churches and buildings throughout the country, including the Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar in Zaragoza.
Another notable figure bearing the Novarro surname was Ramón Novarro, a Mexican-American actor and singer who achieved fame during the Golden Age of Hollywood. Born in 1899 and died in 1968, Novarro starred in several silent films and was one of the first Latin American actors to achieve international recognition.
Throughout its history, the Novarro surname has been associated with various professions, from scholars and physicians to military commanders and artists, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and contributions of its bearers across different eras and regions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Novarro
Among Census respondents with the surname Novarro, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 49.0%. The next largest groups are White (48.6%) and Black (1.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Novarro 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 Novarro surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino49.0% · 127
- White48.6% · 126
- Black or African American1.2% · 3
- Two or more races0.8% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Novarro
Novarro 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
#104,602
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 171
+21 bearers (+14.0%)
Per 100,000 0.06
Rank movement Up 4,726 places
2020
#79,345
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 259
+88 bearers (+51.5%)
Per 100,000 0.09
Rank movement Up 25,257 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #109,328 | 150 | 0.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #104,602 | 171 | 0.06 | +21 bearers (+14.0%) | Up 4,726 places |
| 2020 | #79,345 | 259 | 0.09 | +88 bearers (+51.5%) | Up 25,257 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 Novarro 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 | #104,602 | #79,345 | 24.1% |
| Count | 171 | 259 | 51.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.06 | 0.09 | 44.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Novarro bearers went from 171 to 259 (+51.5% change). The surname moved up 25,257 positions in the national ranking, going from #104,602 to #79,345.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Novarro
FAQ
Novarro surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Novarro?
Name Census estimates that about 297 living Americans carry the surname Novarro. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,154,055 residents.
How common is Novarro?
Novarro ranks #79,345 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.09 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 259 people with the surname Novarro. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (297), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.09 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.09 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 Novarro.
Has Novarro become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Novarro went from 171 recorded bearers to 259. That is an increase of 88 (+51.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #104,602 to #79,345.
What does the Census say about the background of Novarro?
Among Census respondents with the surname Novarro, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 49.0%. The next largest groups are White (48.6%) and Black (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 Novarro in the 2020 Census, accounting for 49.0% (127 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Novarro appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (49.0%), White (48.6%), Black (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 Novarro (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 Novarro mean?
A surname derived from the Spanish word "novarro", meaning someone from the town of Novara in Piedmont, Italy. 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 Novarro (0.09 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 Novarro?
If you just want to know how common the surname Novarro is, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.