2000
#17,660
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,465
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.54
Rare Last name
Alzate
A Spanish surname derived from the Basque word "alzate" meaning a high place or hill.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,369 Americans carry the last name Alzate. That puts it at #13,977 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.69 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 144,683 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Alzate 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
2.4K
1 in 144,683
Census rank
#13,977
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,066 bearers of the surname Alzate in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.69 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13977th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Alzate, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 90.3%. The next largest groups are White (6.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Alzate
Among Census respondents with the surname Alzate, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 90.3%. The next largest groups are White (6.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Alzate 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 Alzate surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino90.3% · 1,865
- White6.0% · 124
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.2% · 67
- Black or African American0.2% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 4
- Two or more races0.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Alzate
Alzate 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
#16,087
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,800
+335 bearers (+22.9%)
Per 100,000 0.61
Rank movement Up 1,573 places
2020
#13,977
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,066
+266 bearers (+14.8%)
Per 100,000 0.69
Rank movement Up 2,110 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #17,660 | 1,465 | 0.54 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #16,087 | 1,800 | 0.61 | +335 bearers (+22.9%) | Up 1,573 places |
| 2020 | #13,977 | 2,066 | 0.69 | +266 bearers (+14.8%) | Up 2,110 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 Alzate 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 | #16,087 | #13,977 | 13.1% |
| Count | 1,800 | 2,066 | 14.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.61 | 0.69 | 13.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Alzate bearers went from 1,800 to 2,066 (+14.8% change). The surname moved up 2,110 positions in the national ranking, going from #16,087 to #13,977.
FAQ
Alzate surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Alzate?
Name Census estimates that about 2,369 living Americans carry the surname Alzate. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 144,683 residents.
How common is Alzate?
Alzate ranks #13,977 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.69 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,066 people with the surname Alzate. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,369), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.69 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.69 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Alzate.
Has Alzate become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Alzate went from 1,800 recorded bearers to 2,066. That is an increase of 266 (+14.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #16,087 to #13,977.
What does the Census say about the background of Alzate?
Among Census respondents with the surname Alzate, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 90.3%. The next largest groups are White (6.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.2%). 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 Alzate in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.3% (1,865 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Alzate appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (90.3%), White (6.0%), Asian/Pacific Islander (3.2%). 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 Alzate (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 Alzate mean?
A Spanish surname derived from the Basque word "alzate" meaning a high place or hill. 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 Alzate (0.69 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 are called Alzate?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many Americans have the surname Alzate at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.