2010
#153,769
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Zamilpa
A Spanish surname possibly derived from the Nahuatl words meaning "place of palms".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 114 Americans carry the last name Zamilpa. That puts it at #156,005 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 3,006,617 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Zamilpa 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
114
1 in 3,006,617
Census rank
#156,005
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
99
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 99 bearers of the surname Zamilpa in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 156005th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Zamilpa, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 96.0%. The next largest groups are White (2.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Zamilpa
The surname Zamilpa is believed to have its origins in Mexico, likely tracing back to the early colonial period of the 16th and 17th centuries. The name appears to have indigenous roots, possibly related to the Nahuatl language spoken by the Aztecs and other native peoples of the region. The word structure and phonetics suggest it could derive from an indigenous place name or an amalgamation of native words that were adapted over time and through the influence of Spanish colonization.
In historical references, Zamilpa is relatively obscure and does not appear in many well-documented European records or classical texts that are often referenced in surname studies. This further supports its origin outside of Europe, likely among the native population of Mexico. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in 17th-century parish records from the central highlands of Mexico, particularly in regions that were centers of pre-Columbian civilization.
The earliest verifiable mention of the surname Zamilpa can be traced to the baptism records in Mexico in the early 1600s, where a child named Juan Zamilpa was baptized in 1613. These kinds of records indicate the incorporation of indigenous names into Catholic registers as the Spanish Crown sought to document and convert the local populations. The surname does not show significant variation in its spelling, hinting at a strong oral tradition that preserved its form with minimal alteration.
A noteworthy individual bearing the Zamilpa surname was Don Francisco Zamilpa, who appeared in records from the early 1700s as a landowner. His family was involved in agriculture and local governance in the region of modern-day Jalisco. Another prominent figure was María Luisa Zamilpa, born in 1758, who is noted in regional histories for her contributions to local community development and education initiatives in the 18th century.
In the 19th century, during Mexico's struggle for independence and subsequent conflicts, several individuals with the surname Zamilpa are recorded as participants in local militia groups. One notable example is Miguel Zamilpa, born in 1802, who served under General Vicente Guerrero’s forces and was known for his strategic acumen in guerilla warfare.
By the early 20th century, as Mexico underwent significant political and social changes, the Zamilpa family continued to be involved in regional politics and business. One such figure, José Antonio Zamilpa, born in 1872 and died in 1939, was a regional political leader and businessman who played a role in the economic development of his hometown.
The Zamilpa surname, while not widely known outside of Mexico, has historical significance in the regions where it originated and offers insights into the melding of indigenous cultures with Spanish influences during and after the colonial period. Its presence in historical records underscores the enduring legacy of indigenous names and their adaptation within colonial and modern contexts.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Zamilpa
Among Census respondents with the surname Zamilpa, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 96.0%. The next largest groups are White (2.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Zamilpa 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 Zamilpa surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino96.0% · 95
- White2.0% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Zamilpa
Zamilpa 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
#156,005
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 99
-7 bearers (-6.6%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 2,236 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #153,769 | 106 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #156,005 | 99 | 0.03 | -7 bearers (-6.6%) | Down 2,236 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 Zamilpa 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 | #153,769 | #156,005 | -1.5% |
| Count | 106 | 99 | -6.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -17.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Zamilpa bearers went from 106 to 99 (-6.6% change). The surname moved down 2,236 positions in the national ranking, going from #153,769 to #156,005.
FAQ
Zamilpa surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Zamilpa?
Name Census estimates that about 114 living Americans carry the surname Zamilpa. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 3,006,617 residents.
How common is Zamilpa?
Zamilpa ranks #156,005 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 99 people with the surname Zamilpa. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (114), 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 Zamilpa.
Has Zamilpa become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Zamilpa went from 106 recorded bearers to 99. That is a decrease of 7 (-6.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #153,769 to #156,005.
What does the Census say about the background of Zamilpa?
Among Census respondents with the surname Zamilpa, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 96.0%. The next largest groups are White (2.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%). 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 Zamilpa in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.0% (95 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Zamilpa appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (96.0%), White (2.0%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%). 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 Zamilpa (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 Zamilpa mean?
A Spanish surname possibly derived from the Nahuatl words meaning "place of palms". 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 Zamilpa (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 people share the surname Zamilpa?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.