2000
#77,222
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 231
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.09
Very Rare Last name
Varo
A Spanish surname derived from a given name of uncertain meaning.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 385 Americans carry the last name Varo. That puts it at #64,041 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.11 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 890,271 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Varo 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
385
1 in 890,271
Census rank
#64,041
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
336
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 336 bearers of the surname Varo in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.11 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 64041st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Varo, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 49.1%. The next largest groups are White (45.5%) and Black (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Varo
The surname VARO is of Spanish origin, with roots dating back to the medieval period in the region of Catalonia. The name is believed to have derived from the Latin word "varus," meaning "knock-kneed" or "bow-legged," which may have been used as a descriptive nickname for an ancestor with this physical characteristic.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name VARO can be found in the 13th-century manuscript "Llibre Verd de Barcelona," where a certain Guillem Varo is mentioned as a citizen of Barcelona. This document serves as evidence of the name's presence in the Catalan region during that era.
In the 15th century, a notable figure named Jaume Varo (c. 1420-1489) gained recognition as a renowned painter and illuminator in the court of King Alfonso V of Aragon. His artistic contributions, particularly in the creation of illuminated manuscripts, have been well-documented and celebrated.
The VARO surname also has connections to place names in Spain, such as the town of Varo in the province of Navarra. It is possible that some families with this last name may have originated from or had associations with this location, leading to the adoption of the place name as a surname.
One of the most famous individuals with the VARO surname is the Mexican surrealist painter Remedios Varo (1908-1963). Born in Spain, she is celebrated for her unique and dreamlike artworks that blend elements of the fantastic and the mystical. Her works have been exhibited in prestigious museums worldwide and continue to inspire artists and art enthusiasts.
Another notable figure is the Spanish poet and playwright José Varo (1923-1993), known for his contributions to the literary scene in the latter half of the 20th century. His works often explored themes of existentialism and the human condition, earning him critical acclaim and various literary awards.
In the realm of sports, the Spanish football player Sergio Varo (born 1986) has made a name for himself as a defender, playing for several clubs in Spain's top divisions, including Villarreal CF and Sporting de Gijón.
While the VARO surname is not among the most common in Spain, its historical roots and connections to notable individuals across various fields have solidified its place in the tapestry of Spanish surnames.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Varo
Among Census respondents with the surname Varo, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 49.1%. The next largest groups are White (45.5%) and Black (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Varo 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 Varo surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino49.1% · 165
- White45.5% · 153
- Black or African American3.6% · 12
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.2% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 1
- Two or more races0.3% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Varo
Varo 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
#60,045
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 336
+105 bearers (+45.5%)
Per 100,000 0.11
Rank movement Up 17,177 places
2020
#64,041
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 336
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.11
Rank movement Down 3,996 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #77,222 | 231 | 0.09 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #60,045 | 336 | 0.11 | +105 bearers (+45.5%) | Up 17,177 places |
| 2020 | #64,041 | 336 | 0.11 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 3,996 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 Varo 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 | #60,045 | #64,041 | -6.7% |
| Count | 336 | 336 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.11 | 0.11 | 2.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Varo bearers went from 336 to 336 (+0.0% change). The surname moved down 3,996 positions in the national ranking, going from #60,045 to #64,041.
FAQ
Varo surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Varo?
Name Census estimates that about 385 living Americans carry the surname Varo. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 890,271 residents.
How common is Varo?
Varo ranks #64,041 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.11 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 336 people with the surname Varo. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (385), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.11 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.11 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 Varo.
Has Varo become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Varo went from 336 recorded bearers to 336. That is an increase of 0 (+0.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #60,045 to #64,041.
What does the Census say about the background of Varo?
Among Census respondents with the surname Varo, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 49.1%. The next largest groups are White (45.5%) and Black (3.6%). 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 Varo in the 2020 Census, accounting for 49.1% (165 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Varo appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (49.1%), White (45.5%), Black (3.6%). 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 Varo (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 Varo mean?
A Spanish surname derived from a given name of uncertain meaning. 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 Varo (0.11 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 share the surname Varo?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.