2000
#148,244
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Yznaga
A surname likely derived from a Basque place name or topographic feature.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 111 Americans carry the last name Yznaga. That puts it at #156,449 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 3,087,877 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Yznaga 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
111
1 in 3,087,877
Census rank
#156,449
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
97
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 97 bearers of the surname Yznaga in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 156449th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Yznaga, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 57.7%. The next largest groups are White (39.2%) and Two or More Races (2.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Yznaga
The surname Yznaga finds its origins in the Iberian Peninsula, specifically from the Basque Country in northern Spain. This region, known for its unique language and culture, has a rich history stretching back centuries. The name Yznaga is believed to be derived from the Basque word "iznaga," which translates to "of the hill" or "from the heights." This etymology suggests that the name may have originally been a toponymic surname, indicating that the family who bore it lived on or near a prominent geographic feature such as a hill.
References to the surname Yznaga can be traced back to medieval manuscripts and records in Spain. Basque surnames like Yznaga were often recorded in local legal documents, land grants, and parish registers. One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname appears in the 16th century, during a period of significant documentation and record-keeping in Spain. These records provide insight into the spread and establishment of the family name within the region.
The Yznaga family has a notable presence in various historical records. Among the earliest individuals documented is Juan de Yznaga, a landowner mentioned in a 1592 land grant in the province of Gipuzkoa. The use of the surname in such legal documents signifies the family’s standing and their association with specific lands and properties. Historical records from the Basque Country often include individuals with the surname, underscoring its regional significance.
In the 19th century, the Yznaga surname gained prominence beyond Spain, particularly in the United States. One of the more famous bearers of the surname was Consuelo Yznaga, born in 1853 in New York. She became the Duchess of Manchester through her marriage to George Victor Drogo Montagu, the 8th Duke of Manchester, and was an influential figure in American and British high society. Consuelo's life and connections highlight the surname's reach and the mobility of its bearers during this period.
Other notable individuals with the surname include Fernando Yznaga, an entrepreneur active in Cuba and New York during the late 19th century. His business ventures helped establish the Yznaga name in prominent commercial and social circles of the time. Another significant figure is Emilie Yznaga, born in 1854, who was known for her philanthropy and social influence in both American and European elite societies.
Throughout history, the surname Yznaga has also been associated with various place names, reflecting its geographic and cultural roots. The presence of similar spellings, such as Izanaga and Iznaga, in old records, emphasizes the name's linguistic evolution while maintaining its original Basque heritage. These variations demonstrate the fluidity of surname spelling conventions prior to modern standardization.
Overall, the surname Yznaga is deeply entrenched in the history and culture of the Basque Country, with a trajectory that spans continents and centuries. The records of its earliest bearers and the notable figures who carried the name into new social realms illustrate the enduring legacy of the Yznaga family.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Yznaga
Among Census respondents with the surname Yznaga, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 57.7%. The next largest groups are White (39.2%) and Two or More Races (2.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Yznaga 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 Yznaga surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino57.7% · 56
- White39.2% · 38
- Two or more races2.1% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Yznaga
Yznaga 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
#157,234
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
+1 bearers (+1.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 8,990 places
2020
#156,449
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 97
-6 bearers (-5.8%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 785 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #148,244 | 102 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #157,234 | 103 | 0.03 | +1 bearers (+1.0%) | Down 8,990 places |
| 2020 | #156,449 | 97 | 0.03 | -6 bearers (-5.8%) | Up 785 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 Yznaga 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 | #157,234 | #156,449 | 0.5% |
| Count | 103 | 97 | -5.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.03 | 8.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Yznaga bearers went from 103 to 97 (-5.8% change). The surname moved up 785 positions in the national ranking, going from #157,234 to #156,449.
FAQ
Yznaga surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Yznaga?
Name Census estimates that about 111 living Americans carry the surname Yznaga. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 3,087,877 residents.
How common is Yznaga?
Yznaga ranks #156,449 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 97 people with the surname Yznaga. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (111), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Yznaga.
Has Yznaga become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Yznaga went from 103 recorded bearers to 97. That is a decrease of 6 (-5.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #157,234 to #156,449.
What does the Census say about the background of Yznaga?
Among Census respondents with the surname Yznaga, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 57.7%. The next largest groups are White (39.2%) and Two or More Races (2.1%). 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 Yznaga in the 2020 Census, accounting for 57.7% (56 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Yznaga appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (57.7%), White (39.2%), Two or More Races (2.1%). 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 Yznaga (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 Yznaga mean?
A surname likely derived from a Basque place name or topographic feature. 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 Yznaga (0.03 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 Yznaga?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.