2000
#133,114
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Zagara
An Italian surname derived from the Arabic word "zaqqar," meaning "soda seller" or "maker of soda."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 138 Americans carry the last name Zagara. That puts it at #142,049 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,483,727 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Zagara 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
138
1 in 2,483,727
Census rank
#142,049
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
120
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 120 bearers of the surname Zagara in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142049th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Zagara, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (12.5%) and Black (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Zagara
The surname Zagara originates from Italy, specifically from the southern regions, including Sicily and Calabria, and dates back to the medieval period. The name is derived from the Sicilian and Calabrian dialects of Italian. One of the likely origins of the surname Zagara is the Arabic word "zahrah," which means "flower" or "blossom." This etymology points to the period when the Arab-Muslim rule influenced parts of southern Italy, suggesting that the name could have been brought by Arab settlers or traders and subsequently adopted into the local vernacular.
The earliest historical references to the surname Zagara can be traced back to land and property records in the late Middle Ages. In some old manuscripts, the name appears in various forms such as Zagara, Zagarra, and Zahara, reflecting different phonetic interpretations and spellings over time. For example, in a 14th-century Sicilian census document, the name Giovanni di Zagara is recorded as a landowner, signaling the presence and economic involvement of families with the surname in that locale.
Early examples include Pietro Zagara, a 15th-century fisherman from Calabria, whose name appears in a 1467 registry of local tradesmen. Another notable figure is Maria di Zagara, born in 1524, a midwife in Palermo, whose name is mentioned in multiple archival documents related to birth records and midwifery practices of the time. In the 16th century, Francesco Zagara, a merchant operating between Naples and Messina, was documented in trade records detailing commerce in citrus fruits and spices, indicating the family's involvement in regional trade networks.
Place names incorporating the root Zagara or its variants are found in historical maps and documents. For instance, an area near the town of Agrigento in Sicily was once referred to as "Contrada di Zagara," linking the surname to specific geographic locations within the island. Another place name, "Zaharanova," was documented in a 17th-century map of Calabria, likely named after a prominent family or individual from the Zagara lineage.
Among notable persons bearing the surname in historical contexts is Isabella Zagara, born 1609, who was a renowned herbalist and healer in the Calabria region, mentioned in herbal compendiums and local medicinal texts. Equally significant is Leonardo Zagara, a 17th-century poet from Sicily, whose literary contributions are preserved in anthologies of regional poetry and are still studied for their unique cultural insights.
Thus, the surname Zagara carries rich historical connotations, linked to the ancient Mediterranean cultural exchange, evident in its origins and the enduring presence of the name in various historical documents and records across centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Zagara
Among Census respondents with the surname Zagara, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (12.5%) and Black (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Zagara 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 Zagara surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.2% · 101
- Hispanic or Latino12.5% · 15
- Black or African American2.5% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Zagara
Zagara 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
#156,044
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
-13 bearers (-11.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 22,930 places
2020
#142,049
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
+16 bearers (+15.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 13,995 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #133,114 | 117 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #156,044 | 104 | 0.04 | -13 bearers (-11.1%) | Down 22,930 places |
| 2020 | #142,049 | 120 | 0.04 | +16 bearers (+15.4%) | Up 13,995 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 Zagara 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 | #156,044 | #142,049 | 9.0% |
| Count | 104 | 120 | 15.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Zagara bearers went from 104 to 120 (+15.4% change). The surname moved up 13,995 positions in the national ranking, going from #156,044 to #142,049.
FAQ
Zagara surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Zagara?
Name Census estimates that about 138 living Americans carry the surname Zagara. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,483,727 residents.
How common is Zagara?
Zagara ranks #142,049 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 120 people with the surname Zagara. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (138), 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 Zagara.
Has Zagara become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Zagara went from 104 recorded bearers to 120. That is an increase of 16 (+15.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #156,044 to #142,049.
What does the Census say about the background of Zagara?
Among Census respondents with the surname Zagara, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (12.5%) and Black (2.5%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Zagara in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.2% (101 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Zagara appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.2%), Hispanic (12.5%), Black (2.5%). 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 Zagara (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 Zagara mean?
An Italian surname derived from the Arabic word "zaqqar," meaning "soda seller" or "maker of soda." 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 Zagara (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 Zagara?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.