2000
#9,361
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,194
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.18
Rare Last name
Arzate
Derived from the Basque word "arzate," meaning "between rocks," likely referring to a person who lived in a rocky area.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,237 Americans carry the last name Arzate. That puts it at #7,071 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.53 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 65,449 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Arzate 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
5.2K
1 in 65,449
Census rank
#7,071
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,567 bearers of the surname Arzate in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.53 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7071st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Arzate, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 96.0%. The next largest groups are White (2.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Arzate
The surname Arzate has its origins in Mexico. It is a Spanish surname that emerged during the colonial era, when Spanish conquistadors and settlers arrived in the region. The name is believed to be derived from the Nahuatl word "arzatl," which means "salt marsh" or "salty land."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Arzate surname dates back to the 16th century, when it appeared in colonial records and documents from the viceroyalty of New Spain. It is likely that the name was initially given to individuals who lived in or near salt marshes or areas with saline soil.
In the 17th century, the Arzate surname can be found in various historical records from the state of Michoacán, particularly in the town of Morelia, which was then known as Valladolid. This suggests that the name may have originated or gained prominence in this region.
Notable individuals with the Arzate surname include:
1. José Mariano Arzate (1802-1868), a Mexican military officer and politician who served as the governor of Jalisco state.
2. Jesús Arzate (1914-1994), a Mexican artist known for his murals and paintings depicting indigenous themes.
3. Alejandro Arzate (born 1963), a Mexican professional golfer who has competed on the PGA Tour and various international circuits.
4. Juan Arzate (1564-1633), a Spanish-born Catholic priest and missionary who worked among the indigenous populations of New Spain.
5. Margarita Arzate (1921-2008), a Mexican writer and poet whose works explored themes of identity, feminism, and social justice.
The Arzate surname has also been associated with several place names in Mexico, such as Arzate de Ecatepec and Arzate de Rincón, both located in the state of México. These place names may have derived from the original meaning of the surname, referring to areas with salt marshes or saline soil.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Arzate
Among Census respondents with the surname Arzate, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 96.0%. The next largest groups are White (2.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Arzate 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 Arzate surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino96.0% · 4,385
- White2.9% · 133
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 18
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 13
- Black or African American0.2% · 9
- Two or more races0.2% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Arzate
Arzate 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
#6,858
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,906
+1,712 bearers (+53.6%)
Per 100,000 1.66
Rank movement Up 2,503 places
2020
#7,071
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,567
-339 bearers (-6.9%)
Per 100,000 1.53
Rank movement Down 213 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,361 | 3,194 | 1.18 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,858 | 4,906 | 1.66 | +1,712 bearers (+53.6%) | Up 2,503 places |
| 2020 | #7,071 | 4,567 | 1.53 | -339 bearers (-6.9%) | Down 213 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 Arzate 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 | #6,858 | #7,071 | -3.1% |
| Count | 4,906 | 4,567 | -6.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.66 | 1.53 | -8.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Arzate bearers went from 4,906 to 4,567 (-6.9% change). The surname moved down 213 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,858 to #7,071.
FAQ
Arzate surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Arzate?
Name Census estimates that about 5,237 living Americans carry the surname Arzate. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 65,449 residents.
How common is Arzate?
Arzate ranks #7,071 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.53 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,567 people with the surname Arzate. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,237), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.53 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.53 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Arzate.
Has Arzate become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Arzate went from 4,906 recorded bearers to 4,567. That is a decrease of 339 (-6.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,858 to #7,071.
What does the Census say about the background of Arzate?
Among Census respondents with the surname Arzate, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 96.0%. The next largest groups are White (2.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.4%). 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 Arzate in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.0% (4,385 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Arzate appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (96.0%), White (2.9%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.4%). 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 Arzate (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 Arzate mean?
Derived from the Basque word "arzate," meaning "between rocks," likely referring to a person who lived in a rocky area. 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 Arzate (1.53 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 Arzate?
For a quick modern take, check how common the surname Arzate is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.