2010
#160,975
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Iznaga
A surname derived from the Spanish word "cañaza" referring to a sugarcane plantation or mill.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 146 Americans carry the last name Iznaga. That puts it at #136,807 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,347,632 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Iznaga 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
146
1 in 2,347,632
Census rank
#136,807
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
127
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 127 bearers of the surname Iznaga in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 136807th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Iznaga, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 89.8%. The next largest groups are White (6.3%) and Black (1.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Iznaga
The surname IZNAGA originated in Spain during the 15th century. It is believed to have derived from the Spanish word "iznago," which referred to a type of reed or grass that grew in certain regions of the country. The name likely originated in areas where this plant was prevalent, such as Andalusia or the Canary Islands.
One of the earliest recorded references to the IZNAGA surname can be found in the Archivo General de Indias, a collection of documents from the Spanish colonial era. These records mention an individual named Juan de Iznaga, who served as a colonial administrator in Cuba during the 16th century.
Another notable figure with the IZNAGA surname was Diego de Iznaga, a Spanish explorer and conquistador who participated in the conquest of Mexico alongside Hernán Cortés in the early 16th century. He is mentioned in several historical accounts of the time, including the writings of Bernal Díaz del Castillo.
In the 17th century, the IZNAGA surname appeared in various legal and ecclesiastical documents in Spain. One such document, dated 1642, refers to a María de Iznaga, who was involved in a property dispute in the city of Seville.
During the 18th century, a notable figure named José de Iznaga y Cabrera (1707-1782) gained prominence as a wealthy landowner and sugar plantation owner in Cuba. He was instrumental in the development of the Cuban sugar industry and his family continued to hold significant influence in the region for generations.
Another individual of note was Francisco de Iznaga y Borbón (1785-1854), a Spanish military officer and politician who served as a member of the Spanish Parliament during the early 19th century. He was also involved in the Spanish colonial administration in Cuba.
As the IZNAGA surname spread beyond Spain and its colonies, it can be found in various regions of Latin America, particularly in Cuba, Mexico, and parts of Central America. However, it remains a relatively uncommon surname compared to others of Spanish origin.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Iznaga
Among Census respondents with the surname Iznaga, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 89.8%. The next largest groups are White (6.3%) and Black (1.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Iznaga 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 Iznaga surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino89.8% · 114
- White6.3% · 8
- Black or African American1.6% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.6% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Iznaga
Iznaga appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#136,807
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 127
+27 bearers (+27.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 24,168 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #160,975 | 100 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #136,807 | 127 | 0.04 | +27 bearers (+27.0%) | Up 24,168 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 Iznaga 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 | #160,975 | #136,807 | 15.0% |
| Count | 100 | 127 | 27.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 41.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Iznaga bearers went from 100 to 127 (+27.0% change). The surname moved up 24,168 positions in the national ranking, going from #160,975 to #136,807.
FAQ
Iznaga surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Iznaga?
Name Census estimates that about 146 living Americans carry the surname Iznaga. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,347,632 residents.
How common is Iznaga?
Iznaga ranks #136,807 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 127 people with the surname Iznaga. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (146), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Iznaga.
Has Iznaga become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Iznaga went from 100 recorded bearers to 127. That is an increase of 27 (+27.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #160,975 to #136,807.
What does the Census say about the background of Iznaga?
Among Census respondents with the surname Iznaga, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 89.8%. The next largest groups are White (6.3%) and Black (1.6%). 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 Iznaga in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.8% (114 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Iznaga appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (89.8%), White (6.3%), Black (1.6%). 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 Iznaga (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 Iznaga mean?
A surname derived from the Spanish word "cañaza" referring to a sugarcane plantation or mill. 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 Iznaga (0.04 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 Iznaga?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.