2010
#156,044
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Zarilla
An Italian surname derived from the word "zara" meaning small plot of land.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 117 Americans carry the last name Zarilla. That puts it at #154,755 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,929,524 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Zarilla 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
117
1 in 2,929,524
Census rank
#154,755
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
102
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 102 bearers of the surname Zarilla in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154755th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Zarilla, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.9%) and Two or More Races (6.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Zarilla
The surname Zarilla has its origins in Spain, specifically tied to the regions of Castile and León. It is thought to date back to the medieval period, possibly as early as the 12th or 13th century. Castile and León were significant historical areas during the Reconquista, the period when Christian kingdoms sought to reclaim territory from the Moors. The name Zarilla might have originated from the Old Spanish word "zarza," meaning "bramble" or "thorny bushes," perhaps indicating a geographical feature near where the family originally lived or owned land.
The earliest known records of the surname Zarilla appear in various parish registers and legal documents from the 15th and 16th centuries in Castile and León. One of the first documented instances of the surname can be found in a 1482 land grant pertaining to a Juan de Zarilla, a minor noble, who owned property near what is now known as Burgos. This connection suggests that the family held some degree of local influence or importance.
As the Spanish explored and colonized parts of the New World, the Zarillas were among those who ventured across the Atlantic. One significant figure was Hernando Zarilla, who traveled to Peru in 1550. His role in the early colonial administration and his subsequent marriage to a local noblewoman solidified the presence of the surname in South America, where it occasionally appears in colonial records.
In subsequent centuries, the family name Zarilla can be traced through a variety of legal and ecclesiastical documents. In Mexico, for instance, Ignacio Zarilla, born in 1620 and died in 1697, was noted for his work as a notary and a merchant. Ignacio's detailed records provide valuable insight into the economic activities of the colonial period.
The name also appears within the military annals of Spain in the 18th century. Captain Francisco Zarilla, born in 1745 and died in 1796, served with distinction during the Spanish efforts to maintain control over their American territories. His letters and correspondence, preserved in the Archivo General de Indias, offer a window into the military strategies and daily life during his time.
Another figure of note is María de los Ángeles Zarilla, born in 1790 and died in 1852, who became known for her philanthropic work and involvement with the Church in Seville. Her contributions to local religious institutions and charitable organizations are well-documented in church registers and local histories, marking her as a significant community figure.
The surname Zarilla also crossed into Italy, particularly in the region of Naples, likely due to the close ties between Spain and the Kingdom of Naples during the periods of Spanish rule in the 16th and 17th centuries. One prominent individual, Don Antonio Zarilla, a nobleman and patron of the arts born in 1654 and died in 1722, is noted for his contributions to the development of Neapolitan Baroque architecture.
While less common in modern times, the surname Zarilla remains a testament to a rich historical tapestry that spans continents and centuries, marked by notable figures who contributed to the social, economic, and cultural fabric of their respective societies.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Zarilla
Among Census respondents with the surname Zarilla, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.9%) and Two or More Races (6.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Zarilla 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 Zarilla surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.3% · 88
- Hispanic or Latino6.9% · 7
- Two or more races6.9% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Zarilla
Zarilla 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
#154,755
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
-2 bearers (-1.9%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 1,289 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #156,044 | 104 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #154,755 | 102 | 0.03 | -2 bearers (-1.9%) | Up 1,289 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 Zarilla 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 | #156,044 | #154,755 | 0.8% |
| Count | 104 | 102 | -1.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -14.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Zarilla bearers went from 104 to 102 (-1.9% change). The surname moved up 1,289 positions in the national ranking, going from #156,044 to #154,755.
FAQ
Zarilla surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Zarilla?
Name Census estimates that about 117 living Americans carry the surname Zarilla. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,929,524 residents.
How common is Zarilla?
Zarilla ranks #154,755 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 102 people with the surname Zarilla. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (117), 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 Zarilla.
Has Zarilla become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Zarilla went from 104 recorded bearers to 102. That is a decrease of 2 (-1.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #156,044 to #154,755.
What does the Census say about the background of Zarilla?
Among Census respondents with the surname Zarilla, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.9%) and Two or More Races (6.9%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Zarilla in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.3% (88 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Zarilla appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.3%), Hispanic (6.9%), Two or More Races (6.9%). 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 Zarilla (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 Zarilla mean?
An Italian surname derived from the word "zara" meaning small plot of land. 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 Zarilla (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 are called Zarilla?
See how many people have the last name Zarilla on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.