2000
#6,656
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,684
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.74
Rare Last name
Riojas
A Spanish habitational surname referring to someone from any of several places named Rioja.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,378 Americans carry the last name Riojas. That puts it at #5,961 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.86 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 53,740 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Riojas 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
6.4K
1 in 53,740
Census rank
#5,961
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,562 bearers of the surname Riojas in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.86 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5961st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Riojas, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 89.9%. The next largest groups are White (8.6%) and Two or More Races (0.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Riojas
The surname RIOJAS is of Spanish origin, with roots dating back to the 14th century in the Rioja region of northern Spain. It is believed to be a toponymic name, derived from the plural form of the word "rioja," which refers to the vineyards and wine-growing areas along the Ebro River.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name RIOJAS can be found in the medieval census records of the Kingdom of Castile, where a family with this surname was listed as residing in the town of Haro, a prominent winemaking center in the Rioja region. The name's association with viticulture and wine production likely contributed to its spread throughout the area.
In the 16th century, the RIOJAS surname gained prominence when Juan de Riojas, a celebrated poet and dramatist from the village of Ezcaray, rose to fame during the Spanish Golden Age. His works, which include plays and religious poetry, earned him recognition among the literary elite of his time.
Another notable figure in history bearing the RIOJAS name was Pedro de Riojas, a Spanish conquistador who accompanied Hernán Cortés on his expeditions to the Americas in the early 16th century. Pedro de Riojas is believed to have played a significant role in the conquest of Mexico and the establishment of Spanish settlements in the region.
In the 18th century, the RIOJAS surname made its mark in the field of art with the renowned painter José de Riojas y Rivas, who was born in the city of Logroño in 1705. His paintings, which often depicted religious and mythological scenes, can be found in various churches and museums throughout Spain.
The 19th century saw the rise of Mariano de Riojas, a Spanish military officer and politician who served as the Governor of Puerto Rico from 1847 to 1849. His tenure was marked by his efforts to modernize the island's infrastructure and promote economic development.
As the RIOJAS surname spread beyond its origins in northern Spain, it underwent various spelling variations, such as Rioja, Rioxa, and Riohas, reflecting the regional dialects and linguistic influences encountered in different parts of the Spanish-speaking world.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Riojas
Among Census respondents with the surname Riojas, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 89.9%. The next largest groups are White (8.6%) and Two or More Races (0.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Riojas 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 Riojas surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino89.9% · 5,000
- White8.6% · 481
- Two or more races0.4% · 23
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 22
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 19
- Black or African American0.3% · 17
Timeline
Historical Census data for Riojas
Riojas 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
#6,030
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,699
+1,015 bearers (+21.7%)
Per 100,000 1.93
Rank movement Up 626 places
2020
#5,961
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,562
-137 bearers (-2.4%)
Per 100,000 1.86
Rank movement Up 69 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,656 | 4,684 | 1.74 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,030 | 5,699 | 1.93 | +1,015 bearers (+21.7%) | Up 626 places |
| 2020 | #5,961 | 5,562 | 1.86 | -137 bearers (-2.4%) | Up 69 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 Riojas 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 | #6,030 | #5,961 | 1.1% |
| Count | 5,699 | 5,562 | -2.4% |
| Per 100K | 1.93 | 1.86 | -3.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Riojas bearers went from 5,699 to 5,562 (-2.4% change). The surname moved up 69 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,030 to #5,961.
FAQ
Riojas surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Riojas?
Name Census estimates that about 6,378 living Americans carry the surname Riojas. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 53,740 residents.
How common is Riojas?
Riojas ranks #5,961 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.86 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,562 people with the surname Riojas. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,378), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.86 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.86 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Riojas.
Has Riojas become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Riojas went from 5,699 recorded bearers to 5,562. That is a decrease of 137 (-2.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #6,030 to #5,961.
What does the Census say about the background of Riojas?
Among Census respondents with the surname Riojas, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 89.9%. The next largest groups are White (8.6%) and Two or More Races (0.4%). 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 Riojas in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.9% (5,000 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Riojas appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (89.9%), White (8.6%), Two or More Races (0.4%). 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 Riojas (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 Riojas mean?
A Spanish habitational surname referring to someone from any of several places named Rioja. 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 Riojas (1.86 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 Riojas?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.