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

Zavala, 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 Zavala surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Zavala in America

Zavala is the 667th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Zavala surname appeared 51,153 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 17 people would have the surname Zavala.

We can also compare 2010 data for Zavala 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 Zavala

The surname Zavala has its origins in Spain, tracing back to the 15th century. It is believed to have derived from the Basque language, where "zabala" means "wide" or "broad," potentially referring to a geographic feature such as a valley or a plain.

The earliest recorded instances of the Zavala surname can be found in medieval Spanish documents, particularly in the regions of Navarre and the Basque Country. One notable example is the mention of Pedro de Zavala in a 1498 manuscript from the town of Elgóibar.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the name Zavala appeared in various historical records, including land deeds and parish registers. One prominent figure from this period was Juan de Zavala, a Spanish soldier and explorer who accompanied Hernán Cortés on his expedition to Mexico in the early 1500s.

In the 18th century, the Zavala name gained further recognition with the birth of Lorenzo de Zavala (1788-1836), a Mexican politician and diplomat who served as the first Vice President of the Republic of Texas. His contributions to the Texas Revolution and the establishment of the Republic of Texas cemented his place in history.

Another notable individual with the Zavala surname was María Dolores Zavala y Acevedo (1887-1927), a Mexican writer and journalist who advocated for women's rights and social reform. Her literary works, including novels and short stories, shed light on the experiences of women in early 20th-century Mexico.

In the realm of sports, Juan Zavala (1906-1994), a Mexican baseball player, made a significant impact as a pitcher for various teams in the Mexican League and the Negro Leagues in the United States during the 1930s and 1940s.

The Zavala surname also gained prominence in the arts, with individuals like Iris Zavala (1936-2020), a renowned Mexican actress known for her roles in both television and film, and Alejandro Zavala (born 1968), a Mexican painter and sculptor whose works explore themes of identity and cultural heritage.

While the Zavala surname originated in Spain and has strong ties to the Basque region, it has since spread across the globe, particularly to Latin American countries like Mexico, where it continues to be a prominent surname today.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Zavala

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

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

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

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