2000
#135,837
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Ondarza
A Basque surname denoting someone from a place abundant in ferns or bracken.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 126 Americans carry the last name Ondarza. That puts it at #149,446 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,720,273 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ondarza 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
126
1 in 2,720,273
Census rank
#149,446
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
110
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 110 bearers of the surname Ondarza in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 149446th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ondarza, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 84.5%. The next largest groups are White (11.8%) and Black (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ondarza
The surname Ondarza has its origins in the Basque region, which spans parts of northern Spain and southwestern France. It is believed to have emerged around the 12th century, deriving from the Basque words "ondo" (meaning "good") and "artza" (meaning "bear"). This suggests the name may have initially referred to someone with bear-like qualities or traits, perhaps indicating strength or bravery.
Historically, the name appears to have been concentrated in the Basque provinces of Gipuzkoa and Bizkaia, particularly in areas such as Oñati and Azpeitia. Early variations of the spelling included Ondarchaa, Ondarcea, and Ondarzaa, reflecting the linguistic evolution of the Basque language over time.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Ondarza can be found in a 14th-century document from the archives of the Monastery of Santa María la Real in Nájera, Spain. This document mentions an individual named Martín Ondarza, who was involved in a land dispute.
Centuries later, in the 16th century, the name surfaced in a historical record from the town of Oñati, where a prominent family bearing the Ondarza surname played a significant role in local affairs. One notable member of this family was Juan Ondarza (1520-1588), who served as a respected merchant and alderman in the town.
Another notable figure with the Ondarza surname was María Ondarza (1644-1712), a Basque noblewoman from Azpeitia. She inherited a substantial fortune and landholdings, contributing to the family's wealth and influence in the region.
In the 18th century, the name Ondarza appeared in historical records from the town of Lequeitio, where a family of shipbuilders and merchants carried this surname. One of their descendants, Ignacio Ondarza (1745-1821), became a successful merchant and ship owner, trading across the Atlantic.
During the 19th century, the Ondarza name gained further recognition in the Basque Country. Tomás Ondarza (1802-1878) was a prominent lawyer and politician from Bilbao, who served as a deputy in the Spanish parliament and played a crucial role in advocating for Basque autonomy.
While these are just a few examples, the Ondarza surname has a rich history deeply rooted in the Basque region, with various individuals bearing this name making significant contributions to their communities over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ondarza
Among Census respondents with the surname Ondarza, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 84.5%. The next largest groups are White (11.8%) and Black (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Ondarza 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 Ondarza surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino84.5% · 93
- White11.8% · 13
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ondarza
Ondarza 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
#147,253
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
-2 bearers (-1.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 11,416 places
2020
#149,446
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
-2 bearers (-1.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 2,193 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #135,837 | 114 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #147,253 | 112 | 0.04 | -2 bearers (-1.8%) | Down 11,416 places |
| 2020 | #149,446 | 110 | 0.04 | -2 bearers (-1.8%) | Down 2,193 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 Ondarza 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 | #147,253 | #149,446 | -1.5% |
| Count | 112 | 110 | -1.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ondarza bearers went from 112 to 110 (-1.8% change). The surname moved down 2,193 positions in the national ranking, going from #147,253 to #149,446.
FAQ
Ondarza surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ondarza?
Name Census estimates that about 126 living Americans carry the surname Ondarza. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,720,273 residents.
How common is Ondarza?
Ondarza ranks #149,446 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 110 people with the surname Ondarza. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (126), 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 Ondarza.
Has Ondarza become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ondarza went from 112 recorded bearers to 110. That is a decrease of 2 (-1.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #147,253 to #149,446.
What does the Census say about the background of Ondarza?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ondarza, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 84.5%. The next largest groups are White (11.8%) and Black (0.9%). 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 Ondarza in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.5% (93 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ondarza appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (84.5%), White (11.8%), Black (0.9%). 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 Ondarza (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 Ondarza mean?
A Basque surname denoting someone from a place abundant in ferns or bracken. 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 Ondarza (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 are called Ondarza?
Want to know how common the surname Ondarza is? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.