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

Zapata, 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 Zapata surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Zapata in America

Zapata is the 1082nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Zapata surname appeared 32,274 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 11 people would have the surname Zapata.

We can also compare 2010 data for Zapata 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 Zapata

The surname Zapata originates from Spain, specifically from the Basque region, and dates back to the 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Basque word "zapata," which means "a small shoe" or "a wooden clog."

The earliest recorded use of the surname Zapata can be found in medieval Spanish documents and records from the 13th and 14th centuries. These early mentions often refer to individuals from the Basque region and nearby areas of northern Spain.

One of the earliest and most notable individuals with the surname Zapata was Ruy López de Zapata, a Spanish nobleman and military commander who lived in the 15th century (c. 1440-1500). He served as a captain in the army of Ferdinand II of Aragon and played a significant role in the conquest of Granada.

Another prominent figure with the Zapata surname was Emiliano Zapata (1879-1919), a Mexican revolutionary leader who fought for land reform and peasant rights during the Mexican Revolution. He is a revered figure in Mexican history and is often referred to as the "Caudillo del Sur" (Leader of the South).

In the 16th century, the Zapata name appeared in several Spanish colonial records from the Americas, suggesting that individuals with this surname had migrated to the New World during the era of Spanish exploration and colonization.

Juan Zapata y Sandoval (1570-1630), a Spanish Roman Catholic prelate, was appointed Bishop of Guatemala in 1619. He played a significant role in the religious and cultural development of colonial Guatemala.

Mariano Zapata (1794-1863) was a Mexican politician and military officer who served as the Governor of the State of Mexico from 1845 to 1851. He was a prominent figure during the Mexican-American War and the Reform War.

Antonio Zapata y Mendoza (1550-1635) was a Spanish poet and author who is best known for his work "Miscelánea de Poesías" (Miscellany of Poems), published in 1612. He was a member of the literary circle known as the "Spanish Golden Age."

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Zapata

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

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

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

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