Unzueta last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Unzueta

A Basque surname derived from a placename or geographical term.

Unzueta, 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 Unzueta surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Unzueta in America

Unzueta is the 24222nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Unzueta surname appeared 1,036 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 Unzueta.

We can also compare 2010 data for Unzueta 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 24222 27526 -12.77%
Count 1,036 824 22.80%
Proportion per 100k 0.35 0.31 12.12%

The history of the last name Unzueta

The surname UNZUETA is of Spanish origin, deriving from the Basque region of Spain. It is believed to have originated in the late 15th or early 16th century. The name is thought to be derived from the Basque words "untz" meaning "shore" or "beach," and "eta" meaning "and," suggesting a connection to a location near the coastline.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name UNZUETA can be found in the municipal archives of the town of Zarautz, located in the Basque province of Gipuzkoa. These records, dating back to the 16th century, mention individuals with the surname UNZUETA residing in the area.

In the 17th century, the name UNZUETA appeared in various historical documents related to the Basque Country, including records of land ownership and legal proceedings. One notable example is Juan de UNZUETA, a merchant and ship owner from the town of Lekeitio, who lived from 1620 to 1685.

During the 18th century, the UNZUETA surname spread beyond the Basque region as individuals migrated to other parts of Spain and the Spanish colonies in the Americas. One prominent figure from this time was Sebastián de UNZUETA, a Spanish naval officer and explorer who participated in several expeditions to the Pacific Northwest of America between 1774 and 1779.

In the 19th century, the UNZUETA name gained recognition with individuals such as Tomás de UNZUETA, a Spanish politician and diplomat who served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs in the 1840s. Another notable figure was Fermín de UNZUETA, a Basque military officer and politician who played a role in the First Carlist War in the 1830s.

As the 20th century approached, the UNZUETA surname continued to be found in various parts of Spain, as well as in countries with significant Spanish influence, such as Mexico and Argentina. One example is José María UNZUETA, a Mexican politician and diplomat who served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs in the early 1900s.

Throughout its history, the surname UNZUETA has been associated with various occupations, including merchants, naval officers, politicians, and diplomats. While its origins can be traced back to the Basque region of Spain, the name has spread and become established in various parts of the world with Spanish cultural influences.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Unzueta

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

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 Unzueta was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 6.56% 68
Non-Hispanic Black Only 0.48% 5
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.87% 9
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races (S)% (S)
Hispanic Origin 91.89% 952

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

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 6.56% 5.34% 20.50%
Black 0.48% (S)% (S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander (S)% (S)% (S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.87% 1.09% -22.45%
Two or More Races (S)% 0.61% (S)%
Hispanic 91.89% 92.35% -0.50%

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

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

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If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Unzueta last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on November 22, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/unzueta-surname-popularity/.

"Unzueta last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/unzueta-surname-popularity/. Accessed 22 November, 2024

Unzueta last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/unzueta-surname-popularity/.

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