2000
#3,782
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,600
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.19
Uncommon Last name
Lazo
A Spanish surname derived from the word "lazo," meaning "lasso" or "tie," likely referring to a rope maker or a hunter.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 14,906 Americans carry the last name Lazo. That puts it at #2,709 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 4.35 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 22,994 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lazo 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
15K
1 in 22,994
Census rank
#2,709
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
4.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
13K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 12,999 bearers of the surname Lazo in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 4.35 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2709th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lazo, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 84.3%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (7.6%) and White (6.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lazo
The surname Lazo has its origins in Spain, with records indicating it first appeared around the 13th century. It is derived from the Spanish word "lazo," which means "knot" or "lasso." This suggests that the name may have been adopted by someone who worked with ropes, lassos, or knots, possibly in a profession such as a rancher or farmer.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Lazo can be found in the Libro de la Montería, a hunting treatise written in the 14th century during the reign of King Alfonso XI of Castile. This text mentions a person named Lazo, though their specific identity is unclear.
In the 16th century, records show a Juan Lazo who was a prominent figure in the Spanish conquest of the Americas. He participated in the expeditions of Hernán Cortés and was among the first Spanish settlers in Mexico.
Another notable person with the surname Lazo was Andrés Lazo de la Vega, a Spanish poet and dramatist who lived in the 17th century. He is best known for his work "La Gatomaquia," a satirical poem about a battle between cats and mice.
Moving into the 18th century, there was a Jesuit priest named Juan Lazo who was influential in the education of indigenous communities in New Spain (present-day Mexico). He was involved in the establishment of several schools and missions.
In the 19th century, a Chilean politician named José Victorino Lazo played a significant role in the country's independence movement. He served as a member of the governing junta during the Patria Vieja period and was later exiled for his political activities.
Throughout history, variations of the spelling of Lazo have also been recorded, such as Lasso, Laso, and Lasso de la Vega. These variations often reflect regional differences or changes in spelling conventions over time.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lazo
Among Census respondents with the surname Lazo, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 84.3%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (7.6%) and White (6.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Lazo 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 Lazo surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino84.3% · 10,964
- Asian and Pacific Islander7.6% · 990
- White6.5% · 845
- Two or more races1.2% · 150
- Black or African American0.3% · 41
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lazo
Lazo 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
#2,850
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,640
+4,040 bearers (+47.0%)
Per 100,000 4.29
Rank movement Up 932 places
2020
#2,709
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,999
+359 bearers (+2.8%)
Per 100,000 4.35
Rank movement Up 141 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,782 | 8,600 | 3.19 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,850 | 12,640 | 4.29 | +4,040 bearers (+47.0%) | Up 932 places |
| 2020 | #2,709 | 12,999 | 4.35 | +359 bearers (+2.8%) | Up 141 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 Lazo 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 | #2,850 | #2,709 | 4.9% |
| Count | 12,640 | 12,999 | 2.8% |
| Per 100K | 4.29 | 4.35 | 1.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lazo bearers went from 12,640 to 12,999 (+2.8% change). The surname moved up 141 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,850 to #2,709.
FAQ
Lazo surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lazo?
Name Census estimates that about 14,906 living Americans carry the surname Lazo. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 22,994 residents.
How common is Lazo?
Lazo ranks #2,709 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 4.35 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 12,999 people with the surname Lazo. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (14,906), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 4.35 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 4.35 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Lazo.
Has Lazo become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lazo went from 12,640 recorded bearers to 12,999. That is an increase of 359 (+2.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #2,850 to #2,709.
What does the Census say about the background of Lazo?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lazo, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 84.3%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (7.6%) and White (6.5%). 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 Lazo in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.3% (10,964 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lazo appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (84.3%), Asian/Pacific Islander (7.6%), White (6.5%). 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 Lazo (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 Lazo mean?
A Spanish surname derived from the word "lazo," meaning "lasso" or "tie," likely referring to a rope maker or a hunter. 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 Lazo (4.35 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 Lazo?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.