2000
#21,540
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,130
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.42
Rare Last name
Bazaldua
A Basque surname potentially derived from the elements baza (countryside) and leku (place).
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,774 Americans carry the last name Bazaldua. That puts it at #17,809 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.52 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 193,210 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bazaldua 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
1.8K
1 in 193,210
Census rank
#17,809
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,547 bearers of the surname Bazaldua in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.52 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 17809th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bazaldua, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 95.3%. The next largest groups are White (4.0%) and Black (0.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bazaldua
The surname Bazaldua is of Basque origin, tracing its roots to the region of northern Spain and southwestern France where the Basque language is spoken. The name likely emerged during the medieval period, though its precise origins are unclear.
Bazaldua is believed to be a toponymic surname, deriving from the name of a specific place or location. One theory suggests it may be connected to the Basque word "bazaldu," meaning "to spread out" or "to extend," possibly referring to a large or sprawling area. However, the exact place or town from which the name originated remains uncertain.
In terms of historical references, the surname Bazaldua appears in various records and documents from the Basque Country and surrounding regions, though its earliest documented instances are difficult to pinpoint with certainty. Some researchers have speculated that the name may have been mentioned in ancient Basque manuscripts or local church records, but concrete evidence is scarce.
One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Bazaldua was Juan Bazaldua, a prominent lawyer and politician from Navarre, Spain, who lived in the late 16th century. Another notable figure was Pedro Bazaldua, a Basque merchant and explorer who participated in the colonization efforts of the Spanish Empire in the Americas during the 17th century.
In the 18th century, María Bazaldua, a renowned Basque writer and poet, gained recognition for her literary works, which celebrated Basque culture and traditions. Her birth and death dates, however, are not precisely recorded.
During the 19th century, Ignacio Bazaldua, a Basque engineer and inventor, made significant contributions to the field of mechanical engineering. His innovative designs and patents played a role in the industrial revolution of that era.
More recently, in the 20th century, Javier Bazaldua, a prominent Basque politician and activist, fought for the preservation of Basque language and cultural rights during the tumultuous years of the Spanish Civil War and the subsequent Franco regime.
While the surname Bazaldua is not among the most common Basque surnames, it has persisted throughout the centuries, carrying a rich cultural heritage and a connection to the unique traditions of the Basque people.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bazaldua
Among Census respondents with the surname Bazaldua, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 95.3%. The next largest groups are White (4.0%) and Black (0.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Bazaldua 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 Bazaldua surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino95.3% · 1,475
- White4.0% · 62
- Black or African American0.3% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.2% · 3
- Two or more races0.1% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bazaldua
Bazaldua 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
#17,463
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,614
+484 bearers (+42.8%)
Per 100,000 0.55
Rank movement Up 4,077 places
2020
#17,809
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,547
-67 bearers (-4.2%)
Per 100,000 0.52
Rank movement Down 346 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #21,540 | 1,130 | 0.42 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #17,463 | 1,614 | 0.55 | +484 bearers (+42.8%) | Up 4,077 places |
| 2020 | #17,809 | 1,547 | 0.52 | -67 bearers (-4.2%) | Down 346 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 Bazaldua 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 | #17,463 | #17,809 | -2.0% |
| Count | 1,614 | 1,547 | -4.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.55 | 0.52 | -5.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bazaldua bearers went from 1,614 to 1,547 (-4.2% change). The surname moved down 346 positions in the national ranking, going from #17,463 to #17,809.
FAQ
Bazaldua surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bazaldua?
Name Census estimates that about 1,774 living Americans carry the surname Bazaldua. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 193,210 residents.
How common is Bazaldua?
Bazaldua ranks #17,809 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.52 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 1,547 people with the surname Bazaldua. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,774), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.52 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.52 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 Bazaldua.
Has Bazaldua become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bazaldua went from 1,614 recorded bearers to 1,547. That is a decrease of 67 (-4.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #17,463 to #17,809.
What does the Census say about the background of Bazaldua?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bazaldua, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 95.3%. The next largest groups are White (4.0%) and Black (0.3%). 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 Bazaldua in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.3% (1,475 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bazaldua appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (95.3%), White (4.0%), Black (0.3%). 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 Bazaldua (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 Bazaldua mean?
A Basque surname potentially derived from the elements baza (countryside) and leku (place). 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 Bazaldua (0.52 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 Americans have the surname Bazaldua?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.