2000
#17,970
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,433
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.53
Rare Last name
Zarco
Derived from the Spanish word "zarco," meaning blue-eyed or having light-colored eyes.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,594 Americans carry the last name Zarco. That puts it at #12,983 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.76 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 132,134 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Zarco 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
2.6K
1 in 132,134
Census rank
#12,983
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,262 bearers of the surname Zarco in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.76 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12983rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Zarco, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 94.1%. The next largest groups are White (3.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Zarco
The surname Zarco has its origins in Portugal, emerging during the late medieval period around the 13th-14th centuries. It is believed to be derived from the Portuguese word "zarco," which means "blue-eyed" or "light-eyed." This suggests that the name was initially used as a descriptive nickname for individuals with distinctive light-colored eyes.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Zarco surname can be found in the chronicles of the Portuguese conquest of the Canary Islands in the 15th century. João Gonçalves Zarco (c. 1390-1471) was a Portuguese explorer who, alongside Tristão Vaz Teixeira, led the expedition that resulted in the rediscovery and colonization of the Madeira Islands in 1419.
Another notable figure bearing the Zarco name was Rui Gonçalves Zarco (fl. 1450), who served as the captain-general of the island of Madeira during the early stages of its settlement. He played a crucial role in the establishment of agricultural and defensive infrastructure on the island.
In the 16th century, records mention Jerónimo Zarco (fl. 1540), a Portuguese explorer and navigator who participated in several expeditions to the East Indies and the Moluccas Islands (present-day Indonesia).
The Zarco surname also had a presence in Spain, particularly in the region of Andalusia. One prominent individual was Miguel Zarco y Abalos (1584-1662), a Spanish military officer and governor of the Canary Islands from 1625 to 1637.
In later centuries, the Zarco name spread to other parts of the world, including the Americas, as a result of Portuguese and Spanish exploration and colonization. Pedro Zarco (1809-1869), for example, was a Mexican military officer who fought in the Mexican-American War and the Reform War in Mexico.
While the Zarco surname is not among the most common surnames globally, it has a rich history rooted in the Iberian Peninsula, particularly in Portugal and Spain. The name's association with exploration, navigation, and military service reflects the adventurous spirit of those who bore it throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Zarco
Among Census respondents with the surname Zarco, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 94.1%. The next largest groups are White (3.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Zarco 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 Zarco surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino94.1% · 2,129
- White3.4% · 78
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 38
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 9
- Two or more races0.2% · 5
- Black or African American0.1% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Zarco
Zarco 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
#13,251
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,304
+871 bearers (+60.8%)
Per 100,000 0.78
Rank movement Up 4,719 places
2020
#12,983
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,262
-42 bearers (-1.8%)
Per 100,000 0.76
Rank movement Up 268 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #17,970 | 1,433 | 0.53 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,251 | 2,304 | 0.78 | +871 bearers (+60.8%) | Up 4,719 places |
| 2020 | #12,983 | 2,262 | 0.76 | -42 bearers (-1.8%) | Up 268 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 Zarco 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 | #13,251 | #12,983 | 2.0% |
| Count | 2,304 | 2,262 | -1.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.78 | 0.76 | -3.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Zarco bearers went from 2,304 to 2,262 (-1.8% change). The surname moved up 268 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,251 to #12,983.
FAQ
Zarco surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Zarco?
Name Census estimates that about 2,594 living Americans carry the surname Zarco. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 132,134 residents.
How common is Zarco?
Zarco ranks #12,983 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.76 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 2,262 people with the surname Zarco. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,594), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.76 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.76 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 Zarco.
Has Zarco become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Zarco went from 2,304 recorded bearers to 2,262. That is a decrease of 42 (-1.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #13,251 to #12,983.
What does the Census say about the background of Zarco?
Among Census respondents with the surname Zarco, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 94.1%. The next largest groups are White (3.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%). 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 Zarco in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.1% (2,129 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Zarco appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (94.1%), White (3.4%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%). 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 Zarco (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 Zarco mean?
Derived from the Spanish word "zarco," meaning blue-eyed or having light-colored eyes. 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 Zarco (0.76 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 are called Zarco?
You can see how many people are called Zarco on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.