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

Zaldaña, 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 Zaldaña surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Zaldaña in America

Zaldaña is the 28176th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Zaldaña surname appeared 849 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 Zaldaña.

We can also compare 2010 data for Zaldaña 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.

The history of the last name Zaldaña

The surname Zaldana has its roots in the Iberian Peninsula, specifically within Spain. This surname likely originated during the medieval period, a time when surnames began to be used more commonly for identification purposes among families. The name may be derived from the Basque region, as it incorporates elements that resonate with Basque linguistic customs. "Zald" in Basque translates to "horse," and the suffix "ana" can denote "place." Thus, Zaldana could hint at an origin meaning "place of horses" or a location associated with horses.

The name Zaldana does not appear prominently in early historical records from Spain, indicating it may have been a relatively localized surname during its inception. It is possible that it has appeared in regional documents, possibly related to land ownership, agricultural records, or local governance documents. Given Basque heritage and linguistic influences, variations of surnames were common due to transliteration differences and phonetic spellings making its tracking through history nuanced.

For instance, one of the earlier records comes from the 16th century where an individual named Juan de Zaldana is noted. He was involved in municipal activities in the Basque region around 1570. Another early reference can be found in the 17th century when Maria Zaldana was listed in ecclesiastical documents in Northern Spain, demonstrating the surname's presence across several generations.

Notable individuals with this surname include Diego Zaldana, a notable figure in 18th century Basque history, known for his contributions to local agriculture and development between 1731 and 1792. Moving further into the 19th century, we find records of Esteban Zaldana, born in 1810, who was a significant participant in the Carlist Wars that shaped much of Northern Spain’s socio-political climate. Historical memoirs mention Luis Zaldana, a noted merchant in Bilbao in the early 19th century who helped in establishing several trade routes across Europe before his death in 1875.

The surname Zaldana also has historical significance in political and social movements, as evidenced by Marta Zaldana, a political activist in the Basque region during the early 20th century, born in 1902 and who continued her work well into the mid-century. Her efforts contributed significantly to regional autonomy movements.

Typically, surnames such as Zaldana that have roots in specific regions within Spain also reflect the linguistic and cultural influences contained within those areas. Identifying individuals throughout the centuries, such as the ones mentioned, helps in comprehending the migratory patterns and societal roles the bearers of this surname played.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Zaldaña

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

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 Zaldaña was:

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

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

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

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