Find out how popular the last name Alzate is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Alzate.

Alzate, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Alzate surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Alzate in America

Alzate is the 16087th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Alzate surname appeared 1,800 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Alzate.

We can also compare 2010 data for Alzate to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Alzate

The surname Alzate has its origins in Spain, specifically in the northern region of Cantabria. The name can be traced back to the 12th century, derived from the Basque word "altzate," meaning "hill" or "elevated place." This suggests that the earliest bearers of the name may have lived in or near a hilly or mountainous area.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the Alzate name can be found in the "Becerro de las Behetrias de Castilla," a medieval document from the 14th century that served as a register of landholdings and privileges in the region of Castile. This manuscript lists several individuals with the surname Alzate, indicating its presence in the area during that time.

In the 16th century, the Alzate family name appeared in various historical records, such as parish registers and legal documents, throughout the northern regions of Spain, particularly in the provinces of Cantabria, Asturias, and Vizcaya. Notable individuals from this period include Juan de Alzate (1525-1592), a renowned architect who contributed to the design of several notable buildings in Santander.

As the Spanish empire expanded, the Alzate name traveled across the Atlantic Ocean to the Americas. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name in the New World is that of Diego de Alzate (1572-1648), a Spanish explorer and conquistador who participated in the conquest of present-day Colombia and Ecuador.

In the 18th century, José Antonio Alzate y Ramírez (1737-1799), a Mexican scholar and scientist, achieved fame for his contributions to various fields, including astronomy, archaeology, and linguistics. His writings and observations played a significant role in advancing scientific knowledge in colonial New Spain.

During the 19th century, the Alzate surname continued to spread across Latin America, with notable figures such as Miguel Alzate (1819-1892), a Colombian politician and diplomat who served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs for his country.

Other prominent individuals with the Alzate surname include Antonio Alzate (1849-1912), a Mexican politician and journalist who advocated for social reforms, and María Alzate (1860-1932), a Colombian nun and founder of the Congregación de Hermanas Dominicas de la Presentación, a religious order dedicated to education and social work.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Alzate

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Alzate.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Alzate was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Alzate has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Alzate was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Alzate, please contact us.

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