2000
#7,902
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,886
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.44
Rare Last name
Elizalde
A Basque habitational surname indicating a person from Elizalde, a place name meaning "by the church."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,153 Americans carry the last name Elizalde. That puts it at #6,121 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.80 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 55,705 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Elizalde 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
6.2K
1 in 55,705
Census rank
#6,121
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,366 bearers of the surname Elizalde in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.80 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6121st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Elizalde, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 92.1%. The next largest groups are White (5.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Elizalde
The surname Elizalde originated in the Basque region of Spain and France, dating back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Basque words "eliza," meaning church, and "alde," meaning side or proximity. This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near or adjacent to a church.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Elizalde surname can be found in the Codex Calixtinus, a 12th-century manuscript detailing the pilgrimage routes to Santiago de Compostela. This document mentions an individual named Sancho Elizalde, who was a prominent figure in the region during that time.
In the 15th century, the Elizalde family played a significant role in the political and cultural life of the Basque Country. Juan Elizalde (1420-1489) was a renowned scholar and writer who authored several works on Basque history and folklore. His contemporaries included Martín Elizalde (1435-1501), a respected diplomat and advisor to the King of Navarre.
The surname Elizalde also has ties to various place names in the Basque region. For instance, the town of Elizalde in the province of Gipuzkoa likely derived its name from the family's presence in the area. Additionally, the village of Eliza-Alde in the Navarre region of northern Spain shares a similar etymology.
Notable figures bearing the Elizalde surname include:
1. Pedro Elizalde (1592-1667), a Basque priest and missionary who played a crucial role in the evangelization efforts in the Americas.
2. María Elizalde (1675-1738), a renowned Basque writer and poet whose works shed light on the cultural traditions of the region.
3. José Elizalde (1786-1842), a Spanish military officer who fought in the Peninsular War against the French invasion of Spain.
4. Ignacio Elizalde (1824-1898), a prominent Basque businessman and industrialist who established one of the first steel foundries in the region.
5. Carmen Elizalde (1897-1983), a celebrated Spanish painter and artist whose works are celebrated for their vibrant depictions of Basque life and landscapes.
Throughout its history, the Elizalde surname has maintained a strong presence in the Basque Country, reflecting the rich cultural heritage and historical significance of this region.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Elizalde
Among Census respondents with the surname Elizalde, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 92.1%. The next largest groups are White (5.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Elizalde 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 Elizalde surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino92.1% · 4,944
- White5.3% · 282
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.8% · 96
- Two or more races0.4% · 20
- Black or African American0.2% · 12
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 12
Timeline
Historical Census data for Elizalde
Elizalde 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
#6,102
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,620
+1,734 bearers (+44.6%)
Per 100,000 1.91
Rank movement Up 1,800 places
2020
#6,121
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,366
-254 bearers (-4.5%)
Per 100,000 1.80
Rank movement Down 19 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,902 | 3,886 | 1.44 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,102 | 5,620 | 1.91 | +1,734 bearers (+44.6%) | Up 1,800 places |
| 2020 | #6,121 | 5,366 | 1.80 | -254 bearers (-4.5%) | Down 19 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 Elizalde 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 | #6,102 | #6,121 | -0.3% |
| Count | 5,620 | 5,366 | -4.5% |
| Per 100K | 1.91 | 1.80 | -6.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Elizalde bearers went from 5,620 to 5,366 (-4.5% change). The surname moved down 19 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,102 to #6,121.
FAQ
Elizalde surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Elizalde?
Name Census estimates that about 6,153 living Americans carry the surname Elizalde. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 55,705 residents.
How common is Elizalde?
Elizalde ranks #6,121 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.80 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 5,366 people with the surname Elizalde. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,153), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.8 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.80 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 Elizalde.
Has Elizalde become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Elizalde went from 5,620 recorded bearers to 5,366. That is a decrease of 254 (-4.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,102 to #6,121.
What does the Census say about the background of Elizalde?
Among Census respondents with the surname Elizalde, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 92.1%. The next largest groups are White (5.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%). 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 Elizalde in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.1% (4,944 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Elizalde appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (92.1%), White (5.3%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%). 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 Elizalde (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 Elizalde mean?
A Basque habitational surname indicating a person from Elizalde, a place name meaning "by the church." 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 Elizalde (1.80 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 Elizalde?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.