2000
#136,783
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Sulaica
A Basque surname derived from the place name Zubeldia or Zubelzu.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 133 Americans carry the last name Sulaica. That puts it at #145,028 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,577,100 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sulaica 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
133
1 in 2,577,100
Census rank
#145,028
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
116
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 116 bearers of the surname Sulaica in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145028th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sulaica, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 78.4%. The next largest groups are White (20.7%) and Black (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sulaica
The surname SULAICA has its origins in the Iberian Peninsula, specifically in the regions of Catalonia and Valencia, during the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Arabic name "Sulayqa" or "Zulayqa," which was brought to the region during the Moorish occupation that lasted from the 8th to the 15th century.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name SULAICA can be found in a document from the 13th century, where it was spelled "Solaica." This document was a record of land ownership in the area around the city of Valencia. It is likely that the name was initially associated with a specific location or family estate in the region.
In the 14th century, a notable figure named Ramón SULAICA was a prominent merchant and landowner in the city of Barcelona. He was involved in the trade of textiles and spices, contributing to the city's economic prosperity during that time.
During the 15th century, the name SULAICA appeared in several ecclesiastical records, indicating that some members of the family may have held positions within the Catholic Church. One such record mentions a Brother Pedro SULAICA, who served as a priest in the town of Tortosa.
The 16th century saw the emergence of a renowned author and poet named Juana SULAICA, who was born in Valencia in 1522 and died in 1590. Her works, which focused on themes of love and spirituality, were widely celebrated during the Spanish Golden Age.
In the 17th century, a military commander named Diego SULAICA played a significant role in the Spanish conquest of the Americas. He was part of an expedition that established settlements in what is now Mexico and participated in several battles against indigenous resistance.
Throughout the centuries, the SULAICA surname has maintained a strong presence in various regions of Spain, as well as in parts of Latin America, where descendants of the Spanish settlers carried the name. While the spelling and pronunciation may have evolved over time, the name's origins can be traced back to the rich cultural influences that shaped the Iberian Peninsula during the Middle Ages.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sulaica
Among Census respondents with the surname Sulaica, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 78.4%. The next largest groups are White (20.7%) and Black (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Sulaica 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 Sulaica surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino78.4% · 91
- White20.7% · 24
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sulaica
Sulaica 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
#111,988
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 157
+44 bearers (+38.9%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 24,795 places
2020
#145,028
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
-41 bearers (-26.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 33,040 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #136,783 | 113 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #111,988 | 157 | 0.05 | +44 bearers (+38.9%) | Up 24,795 places |
| 2020 | #145,028 | 116 | 0.04 | -41 bearers (-26.1%) | Down 33,040 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 Sulaica 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 | #111,988 | #145,028 | -29.5% |
| Count | 157 | 116 | -26.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -22.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sulaica bearers went from 157 to 116 (-26.1% change). The surname moved down 33,040 positions in the national ranking, going from #111,988 to #145,028.
FAQ
Sulaica surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sulaica?
Name Census estimates that about 133 living Americans carry the surname Sulaica. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,577,100 residents.
How common is Sulaica?
Sulaica ranks #145,028 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 116 people with the surname Sulaica. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (133), 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 Sulaica.
Has Sulaica become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sulaica went from 157 recorded bearers to 116. That is a decrease of 41 (-26.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #111,988 to #145,028.
What does the Census say about the background of Sulaica?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sulaica, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 78.4%. The next largest groups are White (20.7%) 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 Sulaica in the 2020 Census, accounting for 78.4% (91 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sulaica appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (78.4%), White (20.7%), 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 Sulaica (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 Sulaica mean?
A Basque surname derived from the place name Zubeldia or Zubelzu. 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 Sulaica (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 Americans have the surname Sulaica?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.