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

Lázaro, 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 Lázaro surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Lázaro in America

Lázaro is the 3922nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Lázaro surname appeared 9,061 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Lázaro.

We can also compare 2010 data for Lázaro 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 Lázaro

The surname Lazaro has its origin in Spain, with roots dating back to the Middle Ages. It is a derivative of the Latin name Lazarus, which itself comes from the Hebrew name "Elʿazar," meaning "God has helped."

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Lazaro can be found in Spanish records from the 13th century, where it appeared in various spellings such as Lazaro, Lazara, and Lazarus. These early occurrences were concentrated in the regions of Castile and Aragon.

One of the earliest notable individuals with the surname Lazaro was Don Lazaro de Tormes, a Spanish nobleman and military commander who lived in the late 14th century. He was renowned for his valor and leadership during the Reconquista, the centuries-long campaign to drive the Moors from the Iberian Peninsula.

In the 15th century, the name gained prominence with the birth of Lazaro de Tormes (1455-1530), a Spanish Renaissance author and satirist. His most famous work, "La vida de Lazarillo de Tormes y de sus fortunas y adversidades," is considered one of the earliest novels in Spanish literature and a pioneering work in the picaresque genre.

Another significant figure bearing the surname Lazaro was Fray Bartolomé de las Casas (1484-1566), a Spanish Dominican friar and historian. He is renowned for his advocacy for the rights of Native Americans and his criticism of the Spanish colonists' treatment of indigenous peoples in the West Indies.

During the 16th century, the name Lazaro also appeared in various Spanish place names, such as Lazaro, a municipality in the province of Soria, and Lazarillo, a hamlet in the province of Palencia. These place names likely derived from individuals with the surname Lazaro who lived in or were associated with those locations.

As the Spanish Empire expanded, the surname Lazaro spread to other parts of the world, including the Americas. One notable individual was Juan Lazaro (1545-1624), a Spanish sailor and navigator who accompanied Ferdinand Magellan on his famous circumnavigation of the globe in the early 16th century.

Throughout its history, the surname Lazaro has been borne by numerous other individuals of note, including artists, writers, and scholars. Its enduring presence in Spanish-speaking regions and beyond is a testament to its rich heritage and cultural significance.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Lázaro

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!