2000
#16,714
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,576
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.58
Rare Last name
Zambrana
A Spanish habitational surname indicating a person from any of the various places named Zambrana in Spain.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,393 Americans carry the last name Zambrana. That puts it at #13,866 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.70 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 143,232 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Zambrana 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
2.4K
1 in 143,232
Census rank
#13,866
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,087 bearers of the surname Zambrana in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.70 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13866th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Zambrana, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 90.4%. The next largest groups are White (7.1%) and Black (1.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Zambrana
The surname Zambrana finds its roots in Spain, specifically in the regions of Andalusia and Extremadura. It is believed to have emerged during the 15th or 16th century. The name is thought to be derived from the Arabic word "zamra," which means "flute" or "pipe," suggesting a possible connection to a musical occupation or heritage.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Zambrana can be traced back to the 16th century, when it appeared in the baptismal records of the Church of Santa María la Mayor in the town of Alcalá de Guadaíra, near Seville. This record dates back to 1568 and mentions a certain Juan Zambrana.
In the 17th century, the name Zambrana was found in various historical documents, including property deeds and legal contracts, in the regions of Extremadura and Andalusia. One notable mention is in the municipal archives of the town of Zafra, where a Francisco Zambrana was recorded as a landowner in 1632.
The surname Zambrana has also been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One example is Miguel Zambrana, a Spanish painter who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. His works can be found in various churches and museums across Spain.
Another prominent figure bearing the surname Zambrana was Alonso Zambrana y Villalobos, a Spanish military officer and colonial administrator who served as the Governor of Nueva Vizcaya (present-day northern Mexico) in the late 17th century.
In the 19th century, Joaquín Zambrana y Vázquez, a Spanish politician and lawyer, served as a deputy in the Spanish Parliament during the reign of Isabella II.
Moving into the 20th century, María Zambrana Alarcón, a Spanish educator and women's rights activist, made significant contributions to the field of education in Spain during the early part of the century.
It is worth noting that the surname Zambrana has been subject to various spelling variations over time, such as Zambrana, Çambrana, and Çambrana, depending on the region and historical period.
While the surname Zambrana is not among the most common in Spain, it has a rich history and has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including artists, politicians, military figures, and educators, throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Zambrana
Among Census respondents with the surname Zambrana, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 90.4%. The next largest groups are White (7.1%) and Black (1.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Zambrana 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 Zambrana surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino90.4% · 1,887
- White7.1% · 149
- Black or African American1.1% · 23
- Two or more races0.5% · 11
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 9
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Zambrana
Zambrana 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
#14,591
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,040
+464 bearers (+29.4%)
Per 100,000 0.69
Rank movement Up 2,123 places
2020
#13,866
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,087
+47 bearers (+2.3%)
Per 100,000 0.70
Rank movement Up 725 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #16,714 | 1,576 | 0.58 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,591 | 2,040 | 0.69 | +464 bearers (+29.4%) | Up 2,123 places |
| 2020 | #13,866 | 2,087 | 0.70 | +47 bearers (+2.3%) | Up 725 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 Zambrana 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 | #14,591 | #13,866 | 5.0% |
| Count | 2,040 | 2,087 | 2.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.69 | 0.70 | 1.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Zambrana bearers went from 2,040 to 2,087 (+2.3% change). The surname moved up 725 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,591 to #13,866.
FAQ
Zambrana surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Zambrana?
Name Census estimates that about 2,393 living Americans carry the surname Zambrana. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 143,232 residents.
How common is Zambrana?
Zambrana ranks #13,866 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.70 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,087 people with the surname Zambrana. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,393), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.7 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.70 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Zambrana.
Has Zambrana become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Zambrana went from 2,040 recorded bearers to 2,087. That is an increase of 47 (+2.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #14,591 to #13,866.
What does the Census say about the background of Zambrana?
Among Census respondents with the surname Zambrana, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 90.4%. The next largest groups are White (7.1%) and Black (1.1%). 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 Zambrana in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.4% (1,887 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Zambrana appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (90.4%), White (7.1%), Black (1.1%). 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 Zambrana (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 Zambrana mean?
A Spanish habitational surname indicating a person from any of the various places named Zambrana in 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 Zambrana (0.70 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 Zambrana?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.