2010
#141,140
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Zamayoa
A variant spelling of a Spanish surname referring to a place name originating in Álava, Spain.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 130 Americans carry the last name Zamayoa. That puts it at #147,221 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,636,572 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Zamayoa 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
130
1 in 2,636,572
Census rank
#147,221
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
113
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 113 bearers of the surname Zamayoa in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147221st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Zamayoa, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 94.7%. The next largest groups are White (4.4%) and Two or More Races (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Zamayoa
The surname Zamayoa appears to have origins rooted in the Indigenous languages of Mexico, particularly Nahuatl. The name likely originated in central Mexico, a region historically inhabited by the Nahua people, who spoke the Nahuatl language. Nahuatl, the language of the Aztecs, has a rich lexicon, and many modern Mexican surnames derive from it. The name Zamayoa itself could be interpreted to mean an element related to places or natural geographical features, a common trait in Nahuatl-derived names.
Historical records of the surname Zamayoa are less prevalent compared to those from European contexts due to indigenous oral traditions and the fact that many records were not written down until after the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire in the 16th century. The surname is not documented in prominent Spanish records like the Domesday Book of England but did appear in local colonial records.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Zamayoa surname appears in an ecclesiastical record from the late 17th century in Mexico. Father Juan de Zamayoa was a clergyman who played a noteworthy role in his local diocese around 1694. His contributions to building community structures and religious outreach make him a historical figure associated with this surname.
In the 18th century, a notable figure with the surname was Catalina Zamayoa, born circa 1742. Catalina was known for her involvement in local textile trade in Puebla, a prominent city in Mexico. Her family's engagement in commerce during this period lays a foundation for understanding the socioeconomic status of bearers of this surname.
Francisco Zamayoa, born in 1821, emerged as another significant figure. Francisco was a landowner and political figure in the early years of the Mexican republic. He was known for advocating for local interests and infrastructural improvements during his lifetime, which ended in 1887. His landholdings and active political life are documented in local municipal records.
In the 19th century, Victoria Zamayoa turned heads as an early female writer in a predominantly male-dominated literary world. Born in 1854, Victoria published several poetry collections that addressed social issues and the plight of indigenous peoples. Her contributions to literature continued until her death in 1911.
Another prominent figure was General Antonio Zamayoa, born in 1901. A military leader during the Mexican Revolution and subsequent internal conflicts, Antonio played a role in shaping early 20th-century military strategies and reforms. His military career, which ended with his death in 1965, is documented in several military records and biographical works on revolutionary leaders.
Understanding the surname Zamayoa involves tracing the interwoven threads of indigenous cultural heritage and colonial influences, highlighting its enduring presence in Mexican history. The individuals listed exemplify the varied roles and contributions made by bearers of this surname over centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Zamayoa
Among Census respondents with the surname Zamayoa, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 94.7%. The next largest groups are White (4.4%) and Two or More Races (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Zamayoa 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 Zamayoa surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino94.7% · 107
- White4.4% · 5
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Zamayoa
Zamayoa appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#147,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
-5 bearers (-4.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 6,081 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #141,140 | 118 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #147,221 | 113 | 0.04 | -5 bearers (-4.2%) | Down 6,081 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 Zamayoa 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 | #141,140 | #147,221 | -4.3% |
| Count | 118 | 113 | -4.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Zamayoa bearers went from 118 to 113 (-4.2% change). The surname moved down 6,081 positions in the national ranking, going from #141,140 to #147,221.
FAQ
Zamayoa surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Zamayoa?
Name Census estimates that about 130 living Americans carry the surname Zamayoa. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,636,572 residents.
How common is Zamayoa?
Zamayoa ranks #147,221 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 113 people with the surname Zamayoa. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (130), 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 Zamayoa.
Has Zamayoa become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Zamayoa went from 118 recorded bearers to 113. That is a decrease of 5 (-4.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #141,140 to #147,221.
What does the Census say about the background of Zamayoa?
Among Census respondents with the surname Zamayoa, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 94.7%. The next largest groups are White (4.4%) and Two or More Races (0.9%). 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 Zamayoa in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.7% (107 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Zamayoa appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (94.7%), White (4.4%), Two or More Races (0.9%). 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 Zamayoa (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 Zamayoa mean?
A variant spelling of a Spanish surname referring to a place name originating in Álava, Spain. 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 Zamayoa (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 people share the surname Zamayoa?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.