2000
#9,661
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,087
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.14
Rare Last name
Saez
A Spanish occupational surname referring to someone who made or sold sackcloth or canvas.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,398 Americans carry the last name Saez. That puts it at #8,272 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.28 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 77,934 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Saez 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
4.4K
1 in 77,934
Census rank
#8,272
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,835 bearers of the surname Saez in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.28 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8272nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Saez, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 87.0%. The next largest groups are White (8.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Saez
The surname Saez has its origins in Spain, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Spanish word "saez," which means "wise" or "knowledgeable." The name was likely given as a nickname or descriptive term for someone who was considered intelligent or learned.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Saez can be found in the Becerro de Behetrías, a census-like document from the 14th century that listed the inhabitants of various towns and villages in the region of Castile-Leon. This document contains references to individuals bearing the surname Saez, indicating its use and prevalence during that time.
In the 15th century, the surname Saez appeared in various historical records and manuscripts from the Iberian Peninsula. For example, the Archivo Histórico Nacional (National Historical Archive) in Madrid holds documents mentioning individuals with the surname Saez, providing valuable insights into their lives and activities during that era.
Notable individuals with the surname Saez include Juan Saez de Zumeta (c. 1460-1520), a Spanish military commander and conquistador who participated in the conquest of the Canary Islands and the Caribbean. Another prominent figure was Pedro Saez de Paterna (c. 1480-1545), a Spanish Renaissance artist and painter known for his works in the city of Valencia.
In the 16th century, the surname Saez was associated with several place names in Spain, such as Saez de Valdivielso, a municipality in the province of Burgos. This connection suggests that the name may have originated or been prominent in specific geographical areas within the country.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Saez surname continued to appear in various historical records, including baptismal, marriage, and burial registers maintained by churches and local authorities. Notable individuals from this period include Juan Saez de Zumaran (1617-1685), a Spanish composer and organist, and Gaspar Saez (1646-1716), a Spanish Baroque painter known for his religious works.
In the 19th century, one of the most prominent figures with the surname Saez was José Saez y Saez (1801-1876), a Spanish politician and statesman who served as the Prime Minister of Spain from 1858 to 1863. Another notable individual was Antonio Saez de Heredia (1825-1891), a Spanish diplomat and politician who held various diplomatic positions throughout Europe.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Saez
Among Census respondents with the surname Saez, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 87.0%. The next largest groups are White (8.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Saez 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 Saez surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino87.0% · 3,338
- White8.1% · 310
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.4% · 92
- Black or African American1.8% · 69
- Two or more races0.6% · 22
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Saez
Saez 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
#8,758
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,745
+658 bearers (+21.3%)
Per 100,000 1.27
Rank movement Up 903 places
2020
#8,272
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,835
+90 bearers (+2.4%)
Per 100,000 1.28
Rank movement Up 486 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,661 | 3,087 | 1.14 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,758 | 3,745 | 1.27 | +658 bearers (+21.3%) | Up 903 places |
| 2020 | #8,272 | 3,835 | 1.28 | +90 bearers (+2.4%) | Up 486 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 Saez 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 | #8,758 | #8,272 | 5.5% |
| Count | 3,745 | 3,835 | 2.4% |
| Per 100K | 1.27 | 1.28 | 1.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Saez bearers went from 3,745 to 3,835 (+2.4% change). The surname moved up 486 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,758 to #8,272.
FAQ
Saez surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Saez?
Name Census estimates that about 4,398 living Americans carry the surname Saez. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 77,934 residents.
How common is Saez?
Saez ranks #8,272 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.28 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,835 people with the surname Saez. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,398), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.28 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.28 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Saez.
Has Saez become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Saez went from 3,745 recorded bearers to 3,835. That is an increase of 90 (+2.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #8,758 to #8,272.
What does the Census say about the background of Saez?
Among Census respondents with the surname Saez, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 87.0%. The next largest groups are White (8.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.4%). 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 Saez in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.0% (3,338 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Saez appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (87.0%), White (8.1%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.4%). 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 Saez (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 Saez mean?
A Spanish occupational surname referring to someone who made or sold sackcloth or canvas. 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 Saez (1.28 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 last name Saez?
Want to know how many Americans have the surname Saez? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.