Find out how popular the last name Celaya is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Celaya.

Celaya, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Celaya surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Celaya in America

Celaya is the 7173rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Celaya surname appeared 4,664 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Celaya.

We can also compare 2010 data for Celaya to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Celaya

The surname Celaya has its origins in Spain, specifically from the northern region of Castile and León. It dates back to the 12th century and is believed to be derived from the Basque word "zelai," meaning "field" or "meadow." The name likely referred to someone who lived near or owned a significant field or meadow.

One of the earliest recorded references to the Celaya surname can be found in the Becerro de las Behetrías, a medieval manuscript from the 14th century that documented noble families and their lands. Several individuals with the Celaya surname were mentioned in this document, indicating their presence in the region during that time.

In the 16th century, the Celaya family gained prominence when Juan de Celaya (1490-1558) became a renowned scholar and theologian. He was a professor at the University of Salamanca and played a crucial role in the Council of Trent, a significant event in the Catholic Reformation.

During the Spanish colonization of the Americas, several individuals bearing the Celaya surname migrated to the New World. One notable figure was Pedro de Celaya (1540-1618), a Spanish explorer and conquistador who accompanied Francisco de Ibarra on expeditions to northern Mexico and participated in the founding of the city of Durango.

In the 18th century, the Celaya surname appeared in various historical records related to the Spanish Empire. Miguel de Celaya (1720-1790) was a prominent military officer who served in the Spanish Royal Army and participated in the Spanish-Portuguese War of 1776-1777.

Another notable individual with the Celaya surname was Martín de Celaya (1780-1842), a Mexican military officer and politician. He played a significant role in the Mexican War of Independence and later served as the governor of the state of Jalisco.

While the Celaya surname has its roots in Spain, it has also been adopted and carried on by individuals in various parts of Latin America, especially in Mexico, where it continues to be a prominent surname today.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Celaya

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Celaya.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Celaya was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Celaya has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Celaya was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Celaya, please contact us.

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