Explore the Family Name Aro

The meaning of Aro

1. Finnish: habitational name from farms so named, or ornamental name from aro ‘hard, relatively infertile ground’ or ‘wet meadow, swamp’. As a hereditary surname it was established in the late 19th century chiefly in southwestern Finland and in Ostrobothnia. As an ornamental name it was adopted during the name-changing campaigns in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, especially in southern and western Finland (compare Laine 4). In the US, this is also a shortened form of surnames such as Kiviaro, of which the first element is kivi ‘stone, rock’. The surname Aro is also found in Estonia. 2. Galician: habitational name from either of two places called Aro in Galicia, Spain. This surname is very rare in Spain. 3. West African (Nigeria): unexplained. Some characteristic forenames: Finnish Eero, Hannu, Pentti, Waino. Spanish Angelina, Cayetano, Eufronio, Gerardo, Hernando, Luis, Maria Teresa, Raul, Tomas, Victorina.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Aro in the United States?

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Aro has seen a surge in popularity in the United States between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it was ranked as the 44,895th most common surname but jumped to the 30,767th position in 2010, showing an upward trend of 31.47%. The count of people with this surname also rose significantly from 450 in 2000 to 757 in 2010, marking an impressive increase of 68.22%.

20002010Change
Rank#44,895#30,76731.47%
Count45075768.22%
Proportion per 100k0.170.2652.94%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Aro

Regarding the ethnic identity associated with the surname Aro, the data from the Decennial U.S. Census reveals some shifts over the same decade. The largest group identifying with this surname are of White ethnicity, although their proportion decreased from 61.33% in 2000 to 58.39% in 2010. Hispanic identification also saw a decrease from 22.89% to 20.21%. However, both Asian/Pacific Islander and Black groups saw increases, with the former rising from 8.44% to 12.29% and the latter increasing from 5.33% to 7.40%. No data were recorded for those identifying as two or more races or American Indian and Alaskan Native.

20002010Change
White61.33%58.39%-4.79%
Hispanic22.89%20.21%-11.71%
Asian/Pacific Islander8.44%12.29%45.62%
Black5.33%7.4%38.84%
Two or More Races0%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%