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

Esparza, 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 Esparza surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Esparza in America

Esparza is the 816th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Esparza surname appeared 42,559 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 14 people would have the surname Esparza.

We can also compare 2010 data for Esparza 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 Esparza

The surname Esparza originated in Spain, with its earliest recorded use dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Spanish word "espárgo," which means "asparagus." This suggests that the name may have initially been an occupational surname, given to someone who cultivated or traded in asparagus.

The name Esparza can be traced back to the northern regions of Spain, particularly in the provinces of Navarre and La Rioja. It is believed that the name may have originated in the town of Esparza de Salazar, located in the Navarre region.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Esparza appears in the 13th-century manuscript "Libro de la Cámara de Comptos de Navarra," which was a collection of financial records from the Kingdom of Navarre. This document mentions a certain "García de Esparza," who was a landowner and prominent figure in the region.

In the 15th century, a notable bearer of the name was Juan de Esparza, a Spanish soldier and explorer who accompanied Hernán Cortés on his expedition to Mexico in 1519. Esparza played a significant role in the conquest of the Aztec Empire and was later granted land and titles by the Spanish Crown.

Another prominent individual with the surname Esparza was José María Esparza, a Mexican lawyer and politician who lived from 1799 to 1879. He served as the Governor of Chihuahua and played a crucial role in the Mexican-American War, leading troops against the American invasion.

In the realm of literature, one cannot overlook the Spanish poet and playwright Manuel Esparza (1876-1934), known for his works that explored themes of rural life and the experiences of the working class in Spain.

Additionally, the name Esparza has been associated with various place names throughout Spain and Latin America. For example, there is a municipality called Esparza in the province of Puntarenas, Costa Rica, and a town named Esparza de Galar in the Navarre region of Spain.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Esparza

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

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 Esparza 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 Esparza 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 Esparza was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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