2000
#2,711
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,183
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.52
Uncommon Last name
Elizondo
A Basque toponymic surname indicating a person's connection to the town of Elizondo in Navarre, Spain.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 17,746 Americans carry the last name Elizondo. That puts it at #2,296 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 5.18 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 19,314 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Elizondo 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
18K
1 in 19,314
Census rank
#2,296
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
5.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
15K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 15,475 bearers of the surname Elizondo in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 5.18 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2296th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Elizondo, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 91.7%. The next largest groups are White (6.8%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Elizondo
The surname Elizondo originates from the Basque region of northern Spain and southern France, likely dating back to the 11th or 12th century. It is derived from the Basque words "eliz" meaning church and "ondo" meaning near or beside, indicating the name referred to someone who lived near a church.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Elizondo name appears in the Codex Calixtinus, a 12th-century manuscript describing the route of the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage. The document mentions an individual named Lope de Elizondo who was a local guide in the town of Elizondo in Navarre, Spain.
In the 16th century, the Elizondo family had a presence in the town of Elizondo, as evidenced by records from the local parish church. A notable member was Juan de Elizondo, born in 1542, who served as a magistrate and judge in the region.
During the Spanish colonization of the Americas, several individuals with the Elizondo surname made their way to the New World. One of the earliest was Diego de Elizondo, born around 1580, who settled in Mexico and became a landowner and rancher.
Throughout the following centuries, the Elizondo name spread across Spain, Latin America, and beyond. Some notable figures include:
1. Joaquín de Elizondo (1787-1842), a Spanish military officer and politician who served as Prime Minister of Spain in 1841.
2. Manuel Elizondo (1804-1863), a Mexican general and politician who fought in the Mexican-American War and later served as Governor of Coahuila.
3. Ignacio Elizondo (1829-1892), a Mexican landowner and rancher who played a significant role in the development of the Rio Grande Valley region of Texas.
4. María Guadalupe Elizondo (1901-1975), a Mexican educator and activist who advocated for women's rights and education in rural areas.
5. Virgilio Elizondo (1935-2016), a Mexican-American theologian and author who was a pioneer in the field of U.S. Hispanic theology and ministry.
While the Elizondo name has evolved over time and spread across various regions, its origins can be traced back to the Basque region and the early medieval period, reflecting the rich history and cultural diversity of Spain and its diaspora.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Elizondo
Among Census respondents with the surname Elizondo, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 91.7%. The next largest groups are White (6.8%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Elizondo 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 Elizondo surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino91.7% · 14,194
- White6.8% · 1,049
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 78
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 63
- Black or African American0.3% · 50
- Two or more races0.3% · 41
Timeline
Historical Census data for Elizondo
Elizondo 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
#2,365
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 15,419
+3,236 bearers (+26.6%)
Per 100,000 5.23
Rank movement Up 346 places
2020
#2,296
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 15,475
+56 bearers (+0.4%)
Per 100,000 5.18
Rank movement Up 69 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,711 | 12,183 | 4.52 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,365 | 15,419 | 5.23 | +3,236 bearers (+26.6%) | Up 346 places |
| 2020 | #2,296 | 15,475 | 5.18 | +56 bearers (+0.4%) | Up 69 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 Elizondo 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 | #2,365 | #2,296 | 2.9% |
| Count | 15,419 | 15,475 | 0.4% |
| Per 100K | 5.23 | 5.18 | -1.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Elizondo bearers went from 15,419 to 15,475 (+0.4% change). The surname moved up 69 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,365 to #2,296.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Elizondo
FAQ
Elizondo surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Elizondo?
Name Census estimates that about 17,746 living Americans carry the surname Elizondo. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 19,314 residents.
How common is Elizondo?
Elizondo ranks #2,296 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 5.18 per 100,000 residents, which is about 5 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 15,475 people with the surname Elizondo. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (17,746), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 5.18 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 5.18 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 5 of them to have the surname Elizondo.
Has Elizondo become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Elizondo went from 15,419 recorded bearers to 15,475. That is an increase of 56 (+0.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #2,365 to #2,296.
What does the Census say about the background of Elizondo?
Among Census respondents with the surname Elizondo, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 91.7%. The next largest groups are White (6.8%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.5%). 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 Elizondo in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.7% (14,194 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Elizondo appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (91.7%), White (6.8%), American Indian/Alaska Native (0.5%). 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 Elizondo (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 Elizondo mean?
A Basque toponymic surname indicating a person's connection to the town of Elizondo in Navarre, Spain. 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 Elizondo (5.18 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 share the surname Elizondo?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.