Mazo last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Mazo

A surname of Spanish origin meaning hammer or mallet.

Mazo, 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 Mazo surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Mazo in America

Mazo is the 28498th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Mazo surname appeared 837 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Mazo.

We can also compare 2010 data for Mazo 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.

20102000Change (%)
Rank2849831126-8.82%
Count83770517.12%
Proportion per 100k0.280.267.41%

The history of the last name Mazo

The surname Mazo originated in Spain, tracing its roots back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Spanish word "mazo," which means a mallet or a heavy wooden hammer used for crushing and pounding. The name likely referred to an occupation or trade, possibly a miller or someone who worked with heavy equipment.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Mazo surname can be found in the medieval Catalan records from the 13th century. The name appeared in various spellings, such as "Maso," "Maço," and "Mazó," reflecting regional variations in pronunciation and orthography.

In the 14th century, a notable figure bearing the Mazo surname was Juan Mazo, a Spanish painter born in Madrid around 1610. He was a student and son-in-law of the renowned artist Diego Velázquez and is renowned for his portraits and religious paintings.

Another historical figure with the Mazo surname was Pedro Mazo de la Roca, a Spanish soldier and explorer who participated in the conquest of the Philippines in the 16th century. He served under Miguel López de Legazpi and played a crucial role in establishing Spanish control over the Philippine archipelago.

In the realm of literature, Margarita Mazo de la Roche, a Canadian author born in 1885, gained recognition for her series of novels known as the Jalna series, which depicted the lives of a wealthy Canadian family. Her works were widely popular and earned her critical acclaim.

Moving to the 18th century, José Mazo y Franca, a Spanish painter and engraver born in Zaragoza in 1720, made significant contributions to the art world. He was highly regarded for his religious paintings and engravings, several of which can be found in churches and museums across Spain.

Another notable figure was Ceferino Mazo, a Spanish military officer and politician who lived in the 19th century. He played a pivotal role in the Carlist Wars, a series of civil wars in Spain, and served as a member of the Spanish parliament, representing the Traditionalist Communion party.

These are just a few examples of historical figures who bore the Mazo surname, highlighting its presence across various regions, time periods, and fields of endeavor.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Mazo

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

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 Mazo was:

Race/EthnicityPercentageTotal Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only37.99%318
Non-Hispanic Black Only4.06%34
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only8.36%70
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native0.00%0
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races1.19%10
Hispanic Origin48.39%405

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 Mazo has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

20102000Change (%)
White37.99%43.55%-13.64%
Black4.06%4.54%-11.16%
Asian and Pacific Islander8.36%5.67%38.35%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0.00%0.00%0.00%
Two or More Races1.19%2.70%-77.63%
Hispanic48.39%43.55%10.53%

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

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

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