Find out how popular the last name Zavala Garcia 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 Garcia.

Zavala Garcia, 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 Garcia surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Zavala Garcia in America

Zavala Garcia is the 141140th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Zavala Garcia surname appeared 118 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Zavala Garcia.

The history of the last name Zavala Garcia

The surname Zavalagarcia appears to be unique and may be a portmanteau of two separate surnames: Zavala and Garcia. The origins of the surname Zavala can be traced back to the Basque region in Spain, deriving from the Basque word "zabala," which means 'wide' or 'broad.' This surname likely originated as a descriptive name referring to someone who lived near a broad place, such as a wide valley or plain.

Garcia, on the other hand, is one of the most common surnames in Spain and has been used since the early medieval period. The etymology of Garcia is a topic of some debate, with theories suggesting it comes from the Basque word "gartzia," meaning 'young' or 'bear,' or from the Gothic word "gardinga," meaning 'son of the one who rules.' Historical records show that Garcia was widely used among the Visigothic nobility in the early Middle Ages.

The earliest recorded example of the surname Zavala can be found in legal documents from the 16th century in Spain. Diego de Zavala, born in 1520, was a notable figure who served as a councilman in Bilbao. The surname Garcia appears in even older records, dating back to the 9th century. One of the earliest historical figures with this surname was Ramiro Garcia, born around 860 and a nobleman during the Reconquista.

While Zavalagarcia may not appear in historical documents as a single surname until more recent times, its components have a rich history. Juan de Zavala Garcia de la Guerra, born in 1702, was a noteworthy figure in the 18th century, serving as a colonial administrator in the Spanish colonies in South America. His dual surname indicates the merging of two prominent family names.

Historical manuscripts such as the cartularies of monasteries and the records of local governments in the Basque Country and Castile often include mentions of individuals with either the surname Zavala or Garcia. For instance, in a 15th-century document from the Monastery of San Millán de la Cogolla, there is a reference to Martin Garcia de Zavala, a noble who donated lands to the church.

Moving into the 19th century, another significant figure with a similar surname was Ignacio Zavala Garciandia, born in 1823 in the Basque region. He was a prominent industrialist who played a key role in the development of the steel industry in Bilbao. His contributions to the industrial revolution in Spain were well-documented in business records from that era.

The combination of the surnames Zavala and Garcia into Zavalagarcia likely occurred as families with these respective surnames intermarried, preserving both family names. This practice was common in Spanish and Basque cultures as a way to maintain and honor both lineages. While the exact origin of the compound surname may be challenging to pinpoint, it reflects the blending of two historically significant names.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Zavala Garcia

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

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 Garcia 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.

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 Garcia 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 Garcia, please contact us.

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