2000
#5,275
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,070
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.25
Rare Last name
Bazan
A Spanish surname derived from the word "bazo," meaning "brown" or "dark," likely referring to a person with dark features.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 9,154 Americans carry the last name Bazan. That puts it at #4,300 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.67 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 37,443 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bazan 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
9.2K
1 in 37,443
Census rank
#4,300
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
8.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 7,983 bearers of the surname Bazan in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.67 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4300th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bazan, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 85.3%. The next largest groups are White (13.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bazan
The surname BAZAN has its origins in Spain, tracing back to the late medieval period around the 13th century. It is believed to have originated in the northern Spanish regions of Asturias, Cantabria, and Castile y León.
BAZAN is derived from the Basque word "abazan," meaning "farm" or "hamlet." This suggests that the surname may have initially been given to someone who lived in or was associated with a small farming settlement or village. Alternatively, it could have been an occupational surname for someone who worked on a farm or was involved in agricultural activities.
Early records indicate that the BAZAN surname first appeared in the Kingdom of Castile, which was a prominent medieval Spanish kingdom. One of the earliest documented instances of the name is found in the "Becerro de las Behetrías de Castilla" (Book of Behetrias of Castile), a 14th-century manuscript that recorded landowners and their properties.
One notable individual with the BAZAN surname was Álvaro de Bazán, 1st Marquis of Santa Cruz (1526-1588), a celebrated Spanish naval commander who served under King Philip II of Spain. He played a crucial role in the Spanish Armada and was responsible for several victories against the Ottoman Empire in the Mediterranean.
Another prominent figure was Diego de Bazán, a 16th-century Spanish explorer and conquistador who participated in the conquest of Peru alongside Francisco Pizarro. He was granted encomiendas (land grants) in recognition of his services to the Spanish Crown.
In the realm of literature, Álvaro de Bazán, also known as El Viejo ("The Old"), was a 16th-century Spanish poet and military officer who served in the Spanish Armada and wrote several works, including "El Mastín de Agramante" (The Mastiff of Agramante).
The BAZAN surname can also be found in the historical records of places like Burgos, Valladolid, and Salamanca, which were important centers in medieval Spain. Some variations of the name include Bazán, Vazán, and Bazano, reflecting regional differences in pronunciation and spelling.
Throughout history, the BAZAN surname has been associated with notable individuals in various fields, including military, exploration, literature, and politics, reflecting the rich heritage and influence of this Spanish surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bazan
Among Census respondents with the surname Bazan, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 85.3%. The next largest groups are White (13.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Bazan 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 Bazan surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino85.3% · 6,810
- White13.2% · 1,051
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 34
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 32
- Black or African American0.4% · 31
- Two or more races0.3% · 25
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bazan
Bazan 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
#4,388
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,104
+2,034 bearers (+33.5%)
Per 100,000 2.75
Rank movement Up 887 places
2020
#4,300
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,983
-121 bearers (-1.5%)
Per 100,000 2.67
Rank movement Up 88 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,275 | 6,070 | 2.25 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,388 | 8,104 | 2.75 | +2,034 bearers (+33.5%) | Up 887 places |
| 2020 | #4,300 | 7,983 | 2.67 | -121 bearers (-1.5%) | Up 88 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 Bazan 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 | #4,388 | #4,300 | 2.0% |
| Count | 8,104 | 7,983 | -1.5% |
| Per 100K | 2.75 | 2.67 | -2.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bazan bearers went from 8,104 to 7,983 (-1.5% change). The surname moved up 88 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,388 to #4,300.
FAQ
Bazan surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bazan?
Name Census estimates that about 9,154 living Americans carry the surname Bazan. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 37,443 residents.
How common is Bazan?
Bazan ranks #4,300 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.67 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 7,983 people with the surname Bazan. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (9,154), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.67 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.67 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Bazan.
Has Bazan become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bazan went from 8,104 recorded bearers to 7,983. That is a decrease of 121 (-1.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #4,388 to #4,300.
What does the Census say about the background of Bazan?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bazan, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 85.3%. The next largest groups are White (13.2%) 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 Bazan in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.3% (6,810 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bazan appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (85.3%), White (13.2%), 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 Bazan (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 Bazan mean?
A Spanish surname derived from the word "bazo," meaning "brown" or "dark," likely referring to a person with dark features. 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 Bazan (2.67 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 Bazan?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.