2000
#8,319
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,662
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.36
Rare Last name
Celaya
A habitational surname referring to someone from Celaya, a city in Guanajuato, Mexico, derived from a Basque word meaning "flat."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,112 Americans carry the last name Celaya. That puts it at #7,220 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.49 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 67,049 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Celaya 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
5.1K
1 in 67,049
Census rank
#7,220
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,458 bearers of the surname Celaya in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.49 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7220th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Celaya, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 87.8%. The next largest groups are White (9.2%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Celaya
Among Census respondents with the surname Celaya, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 87.8%. The next largest groups are White (9.2%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Celaya 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 Celaya surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino87.8% · 3,913
- White9.2% · 410
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.7% · 75
- Two or more races0.8% · 34
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 19
- Black or African American0.2% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Celaya
Celaya 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
#7,173
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,664
+1,002 bearers (+27.4%)
Per 100,000 1.58
Rank movement Up 1,146 places
2020
#7,220
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,458
-206 bearers (-4.4%)
Per 100,000 1.49
Rank movement Down 47 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,319 | 3,662 | 1.36 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,173 | 4,664 | 1.58 | +1,002 bearers (+27.4%) | Up 1,146 places |
| 2020 | #7,220 | 4,458 | 1.49 | -206 bearers (-4.4%) | Down 47 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 Celaya 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 | #7,173 | #7,220 | -0.7% |
| Count | 4,664 | 4,458 | -4.4% |
| Per 100K | 1.58 | 1.49 | -5.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Celaya bearers went from 4,664 to 4,458 (-4.4% change). The surname moved down 47 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,173 to #7,220.
FAQ
Celaya surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Celaya?
Name Census estimates that about 5,112 living Americans carry the surname Celaya. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 67,049 residents.
How common is Celaya?
Celaya ranks #7,220 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.49 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 4,458 people with the surname Celaya. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,112), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.49 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.49 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 Celaya.
Has Celaya become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Celaya went from 4,664 recorded bearers to 4,458. That is a decrease of 206 (-4.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,173 to #7,220.
What does the Census say about the background of Celaya?
Among Census respondents with the surname Celaya, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 87.8%. The next largest groups are White (9.2%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.7%). 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 Celaya in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.8% (3,913 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Celaya appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (87.8%), White (9.2%), American Indian/Alaska Native (1.7%). 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 Celaya (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 Celaya mean?
A habitational surname referring to someone from Celaya, a city in Guanajuato, Mexico, derived from a Basque word meaning "flat." 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 Celaya (1.49 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 common is the surname Celaya?
Want to know how many people have the last name Celaya? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.