2010
#147,253
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Ainza
A Basque surname indicating a person from the town of Ainza in the province of Huesca, Spain.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 135 Americans carry the last name Ainza. That puts it at #143,511 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,538,921 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ainza 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
135
1 in 2,538,921
Census rank
#143,511
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
118
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 118 bearers of the surname Ainza in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 143511th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ainza, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 65.3%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (25.4%) and White (7.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ainza
The surname Ainza originated in the Basque region of Spain and France, specifically in the Navarre province. It is believed to have derived from the Basque word "aintzat," which means "to respect" or "to honor." This suggests that the name may have been initially used to denote someone who was highly regarded or held in esteem within their community.
The earliest recorded instances of the Ainza surname can be traced back to the 12th century, with mentions in several medieval Basque manuscripts and charters. One notable reference is found in the cartulary of the Monastery of Leyre, which contains records of individuals bearing the Ainza name from as early as 1175.
During the 13th century, the name appears in various documents related to the Kingdom of Navarre, including land records and legal proceedings. One prominent figure from this period was Juan de Ainza, a renowned jurist and advisor to the King of Navarre in the late 1200s.
In the 15th century, the Ainza family established itself as a prominent noble lineage in the region, with several members holding positions of authority and influence. One such individual was Martín de Ainza, who served as the Mayor of Pamplona in 1489.
As the Basque people migrated and settled in other parts of Spain and beyond, the Ainza surname spread throughout the country and into other regions of Europe and the Americas. Notable individuals with this surname include:
1. Pedro de Ainza (1522-1591), a Spanish conquistador who accompanied Francisco Pizarro in the conquest of Peru.
2. Ignacio de Ainza (1683-1751), a Jesuit missionary who established several missions in present-day Bolivia.
3. Juan Bautista de Ainza (1752-1837), a Spanish military engineer and cartographer known for his work in mapping the Mississippi River basin.
4. Ramón Ainza (1879-1957), a Basque writer and poet who contributed significantly to the revival of Basque literature in the early 20th century.
5. María Ainza (1904-1983), a Spanish sculptor and artist celebrated for her works depicting religious themes and Basque culture.
The Ainza surname has also been associated with various place names in the Basque region, such as Ainza, a municipality in the province of Huesca, and Ainzibarre, a village in the Baztán valley of Navarre.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ainza
Among Census respondents with the surname Ainza, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 65.3%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (25.4%) and White (7.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Ainza 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 Ainza surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino65.3% · 77
- Asian and Pacific Islander25.4% · 30
- White7.6% · 9
- Two or more races1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ainza
Ainza appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#143,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
+6 bearers (+5.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 3,742 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #147,253 | 112 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #143,511 | 118 | 0.04 | +6 bearers (+5.4%) | Up 3,742 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 Ainza 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 | #147,253 | #143,511 | 2.5% |
| Count | 112 | 118 | 5.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -1.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ainza bearers went from 112 to 118 (+5.4% change). The surname moved up 3,742 positions in the national ranking, going from #147,253 to #143,511.
FAQ
Ainza surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ainza?
Name Census estimates that about 135 living Americans carry the surname Ainza. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,538,921 residents.
How common is Ainza?
Ainza ranks #143,511 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 118 people with the surname Ainza. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (135), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Ainza.
Has Ainza become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ainza went from 112 recorded bearers to 118. That is an increase of 6 (+5.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #147,253 to #143,511.
What does the Census say about the background of Ainza?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ainza, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 65.3%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (25.4%) and White (7.6%). 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 Ainza in the 2020 Census, accounting for 65.3% (77 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ainza appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (65.3%), Asian/Pacific Islander (25.4%), White (7.6%). 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 Ainza (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 Ainza mean?
A Basque surname indicating a person from the town of Ainza in the province of Huesca, 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 Ainza (0.04 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 last name Ainza?
For a quick modern take, check how many people are called Ainza on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.