2010
#156,044
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Anza
An Italian surname indicating a geographical origin or place name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 130 Americans carry the last name Anza. That puts it at #147,221 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,636,572 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Anza 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
130
1 in 2,636,572
Census rank
#147,221
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
113
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 113 bearers of the surname Anza in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147221st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Anza, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 39.8%. The next largest groups are White (32.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (18.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Anza
The surname Anza originated in Italy, specifically in the northern regions of Piedmont and Lombardy. It is believed to have derived from the Italian word "anza," which means "old age" or "antiquity." This suggests that the name may have initially been used to describe someone who was elderly or had an ancient lineage.
The earliest known record of the Anza name dates back to the 13th century, where it appeared in historical documents from the city of Milan. During this period, surnames were becoming more widespread in Europe, and many families adopted names based on physical characteristics, occupations, or geographic locations.
In the 14th century, the Anza family was documented as residing in the town of Novara, located in the Piedmont region of Italy. This area was known for its fertile land and strategic location along important trade routes, which may have contributed to the family's prosperity and influence.
One notable figure in the history of the Anza name was Giovanni Battista Anza, born in 1734 in the village of Molinos de Aragón, Spain. He was a military officer and explorer who led expeditions into present-day Arizona and California, establishing settlements and paving the way for Spanish colonization in the region.
Another prominent individual was Juan Bautista de Anza, born in 1736 in Culiacán, Mexico. He was the son of Juan Bautista de Anza, a Spanish military officer, and followed in his father's footsteps, becoming a renowned explorer and military leader. He is most famous for leading an overland expedition from Sonora, Mexico, to the San Francisco Bay area in 1775-1776, establishing a route that would later become known as the Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail.
In the 16th century, the Anza name appeared in records from the town of Vercelli, located in the Piedmont region of Italy. During this time, the family was involved in various trades and professions, including agriculture, textile production, and artisanal crafts.
In the 18th century, the Anza family had members who were involved in the Italian Risorgimento, a movement that aimed to unify the various states of the Italian peninsula into a single nation. One notable figure from this period was Giuseppe Anza, born in 1790 in Turin, who served as a military officer and supported the cause of Italian unification.
Throughout history, the Anza name has been associated with various professions, including military service, exploration, politics, and business. While the name originated in Italy, it has since spread to other parts of the world, including Spain, Mexico, and the United States, where descendants of the original Anza families continue to carry on the name and its legacy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Anza
Among Census respondents with the surname Anza, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 39.8%. The next largest groups are White (32.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (18.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Anza 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 Anza surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino39.8% · 45
- White32.7% · 37
- Asian and Pacific Islander18.6% · 21
- Two or more races6.2% · 7
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.8% · 2
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Anza
Anza 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
#147,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
+9 bearers (+8.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 8,823 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #156,044 | 104 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #147,221 | 113 | 0.04 | +9 bearers (+8.7%) | Up 8,823 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 Anza 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 | #156,044 | #147,221 | 5.7% |
| Count | 104 | 113 | 8.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Anza bearers went from 104 to 113 (+8.7% change). The surname moved up 8,823 positions in the national ranking, going from #156,044 to #147,221.
FAQ
Anza surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Anza?
Name Census estimates that about 130 living Americans carry the surname Anza. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,636,572 residents.
How common is Anza?
Anza ranks #147,221 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 113 people with the surname Anza. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (130), 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 Anza.
Has Anza become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Anza went from 104 recorded bearers to 113. That is an increase of 9 (+8.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #156,044 to #147,221.
What does the Census say about the background of Anza?
Among Census respondents with the surname Anza, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 39.8%. The next largest groups are White (32.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (18.6%). 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 Anza in the 2020 Census, accounting for 39.8% (45 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Anza appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (39.8%), White (32.7%), Asian/Pacific Islander (18.6%). 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 Anza (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 Anza mean?
An Italian surname indicating a geographical origin or place name. 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 Anza (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 surname Anza?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.