2000
#27,526
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 824
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.31
Rare Last name
Unzueta
A Basque surname derived from a placename or geographical term.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,211 Americans carry the last name Unzueta. That puts it at #24,658 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.35 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 283,034 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Unzueta 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
1.2K
1 in 283,034
Census rank
#24,658
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,056 bearers of the surname Unzueta in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.35 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 24658th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Unzueta, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 91.5%. The next largest groups are White (7.6%) and Two or More Races (0.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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In the 17th century, the name UNZUETA appeared in various historical documents related to the Basque Country, including records of land ownership and legal proceedings.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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Unzueta
Among Census respondents with the surname Unzueta, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 91.5%. The next largest groups are White (7.6%) and Two or More Races (0.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Unzueta 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 Unzueta surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino91.5% · 966
- White7.6% · 80
- Two or more races0.4% · 4
- Black or African American0.3% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Unzueta
Unzueta 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
#24,222
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,036
+212 bearers (+25.7%)
Per 100,000 0.35
Rank movement Up 3,304 places
2020
#24,658
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,056
+20 bearers (+1.9%)
Per 100,000 0.35
Rank movement Down 436 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #27,526 | 824 | 0.31 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #24,222 | 1,036 | 0.35 | +212 bearers (+25.7%) | Up 3,304 places |
| 2020 | #24,658 | 1,056 | 0.35 | +20 bearers (+1.9%) | Down 436 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 Unzueta 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 | #24,222 | #24,658 | -1.8% |
| Count | 1,036 | 1,056 | 1.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.35 | 0.35 | 0.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Unzueta bearers went from 1,036 to 1,056 (+1.9% change). The surname moved down 436 positions in the national ranking, going from #24,222 to #24,658.
FAQ
Unzueta surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Unzueta?
Name Census estimates that about 1,211 living Americans carry the surname Unzueta. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 283,034 residents.
How common is Unzueta?
Unzueta ranks #24,658 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.35 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 1,056 people with the surname Unzueta. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,211), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.35 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.35 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 Unzueta.
Has Unzueta become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Unzueta went from 1,036 recorded bearers to 1,056. That is an increase of 20 (+1.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #24,222 to #24,658.
What does the Census say about the background of Unzueta?
Among Census respondents with the surname Unzueta, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 91.5%. The next largest groups are White (7.6%) and Two or More Races (0.4%). 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 Unzueta in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.5% (966 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Unzueta appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (91.5%), White (7.6%), Two or More Races (0.4%). 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 Unzueta (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 Unzueta mean?
A Basque surname derived from a placename or geographical term. 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 Unzueta (0.35 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 Unzueta?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.