2000
#684
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 45,806
First available Census row
Per 100,000 16.98
Uncommon Last name
Zamora
A locational surname referring to a person from the city of Zamora in Spain.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 70,230 Americans carry the last name Zamora. That puts it at #540 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 20.49 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 4,880 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Zamora 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Zamora with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
70K
1 in 4,880
Census rank
#540
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
20.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
61K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 61,244 bearers of the surname Zamora in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 20.49 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 540th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Zamora, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 90.1%. The next largest groups are White (5.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Zamora
The surname Zamora has its origins in Spain, specifically in the region of Castile and León. It is believed to have originated during the Middle Ages, between the 11th and 13th centuries. The name is derived from the Spanish city of Zamora, which was an important center during the Reconquista, the period of Christian conquest of the Iberian Peninsula from the Moors.
Zamora, the city, was first mentioned in written records during the 7th century, and its name is thought to have originated from the Celtiberian language, although its exact meaning is uncertain. Some scholars suggest it may be related to the word "samora," which means "circle" or "enclosure," referring to the city's fortifications.
In the 10th century, the city of Zamora played a significant role in the struggle between the Christian kingdoms of León and Navarre. It was at this time that the surname Zamora likely emerged, as people began to adopt the name of their place of origin or residence.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Zamora can be found in the Becerro de las Behetrías, a medieval census document from the 14th century, which lists several individuals with the name Zamora living in the region of Castile and León.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the surname Zamora. One of the earliest was Pedro Núñez de Zamora (c. 1230-1300), a Spanish clergyman and philosopher who served as a tutor to King Sancho IV of Castile. Another prominent figure was Juan de Zamora (c. 1350-1416), a Spanish theologian and philosopher who taught at the University of Salamanca.
During the 16th century, the name Zamora gained recognition through the exploits of conquistadors and explorers in the New World. One such individual was Pedro de Zamora (c. 1490-1550), a Spanish conquistador who participated in the conquest of Mexico alongside Hernán Cortés.
In the literary world, the surname Zamora is associated with the Spanish writer and poet Antonio de Zamora (1663-1728), known for his contributions to the Spanish Golden Age of literature.
Another notable figure was Juan de Zamora (1575-1644), a Spanish painter and engraver who worked in the Baroque style and was known for his religious paintings and engravings.
These are just a few examples of individuals throughout history who bore the surname Zamora, a name with deep roots in the Spanish regions of Castile and León and a rich historical legacy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Zamora
Among Census respondents with the surname Zamora, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 90.1%. The next largest groups are White (5.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Zamora 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 Zamora surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino90.1% · 55,175
- White5.8% · 3,571
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.9% · 1,763
- Two or more races0.5% · 321
- Black or African American0.3% · 209
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 205
Timeline
Historical Census data for Zamora
Zamora 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
#540
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 61,729
+15,923 bearers (+34.8%)
Per 100,000 20.93
Rank movement Up 144 places
2020
#540
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 61,244
-485 bearers (-0.8%)
Per 100,000 20.49
Rank movement No rank change
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #684 | 45,806 | 16.98 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #540 | 61,729 | 20.93 | +15,923 bearers (+34.8%) | Up 144 places |
| 2020 | #540 | 61,244 | 20.49 | -485 bearers (-0.8%) | No rank change |
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 Zamora 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 | #540 | #540 | 0.0% |
| Count | 61,729 | 61,244 | -0.8% |
| Per 100K | 20.93 | 20.49 | -2.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Zamora bearers went from 61,729 to 61,244 (-0.8% change). The surname held its position in the national ranking, remaining at #540.
FAQ
Zamora surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Zamora?
Name Census estimates that about 70,230 living Americans carry the surname Zamora. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 4,880 residents.
How common is Zamora?
Zamora ranks #540 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 20.49 per 100,000 residents, which is about 20 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 61,244 people with the surname Zamora. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (70,230), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 20.49 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 20.49 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 20 of them to have the surname Zamora.
Has Zamora become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Zamora went from 61,729 recorded bearers to 61,244. That is a decrease of 485 (-0.8%). In the national ranking it stayed at #540.
What does the Census say about the background of Zamora?
Among Census respondents with the surname Zamora, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 90.1%. The next largest groups are White (5.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.9%). 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 Zamora in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.1% (55,175 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Zamora appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (90.1%), White (5.8%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.9%). 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 Zamora (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 Zamora mean?
A locational surname referring to a person from the city of Zamora 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 Zamora (20.49 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 Zamora?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.