2000
#5,025
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,410
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.38
Rare Last name
Zayas
A Spanish habitational surname derived from several places named Zayas, likely referring to an area with hedges or enclosures.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 9,456 Americans carry the last name Zayas. That puts it at #4,157 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.76 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 36,247 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Zayas 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
9.5K
1 in 36,247
Census rank
#4,157
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
8.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 8,246 bearers of the surname Zayas in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.76 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4157th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Zayas, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 88.5%. The next largest groups are White (8.6%) and Black (1.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Zayas
The surname Zayas originates from Spain and can be traced back to the 14th century. It is believed to have derived from the Spanish word "zaya," which means a type of wild grass or reed that grows in marshy areas. This suggests that the name may have been initially used as a descriptive surname for someone who lived near or worked with this type of vegetation.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Zayas surname can be found in the archives of the Kingdom of Aragon, where a document from 1348 mentions a certain Pedro de Zayas, a landowner from the region of Valencia. This suggests that the name was already well-established in eastern Spain by the mid-14th century.
In the 15th century, the Zayas family gained prominence in the city of Seville, where they were involved in various trades and professions. One notable member was Juan de Zayas (1459-1526), a renowned goldsmith and silversmith who created works for the Spanish royal court.
During the Spanish colonization of the Americas, several individuals with the Zayas surname played significant roles in the exploration and settlement of the New World. One such figure was Francisco de Zayas (1530-1595), a Spanish conquistador who accompanied Hernando de Soto on his expeditions through Florida and the Southeastern United States.
In the 17th century, the Zayas name appeared in literary circles with María de Zayas y Sotomayor (1590-1661), a Spanish novelist and playwright who is considered one of the earliest female writers of the Spanish Golden Age. Her work "Novelas Amorosas y Ejemplares" (Exemplary Tales of Love) is a groundbreaking collection of short stories that challenged societal norms and explored the perspectives of women.
Another notable Zayas from this period was Agustín de Zayas y Sotomayor (1616-1670), a Spanish military officer and diplomat who served as the governor of various territories in the Spanish West Indies, including Cuba and Florida.
In the 19th century, José María Zayas (1790-1857), a Cuban lawyer and politician, played a significant role in the campaign for Cuban independence from Spain. He served as the president of the Cuban Revolutionary Junta in New York and was a prominent figure in the Cuban diaspora.
Throughout its history, the Zayas surname has been associated with various fields, including the arts, literature, military, politics, and exploration. While the name may have originated from humble beginnings, it has left an indelible mark on the cultural and historical tapestry of Spain and its former colonies.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Zayas
Among Census respondents with the surname Zayas, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 88.5%. The next largest groups are White (8.6%) and Black (1.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Zayas 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 Zayas surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino88.5% · 7,300
- White8.6% · 708
- Black or African American1.5% · 123
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 62
- Two or more races0.4% · 34
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 19
Timeline
Historical Census data for Zayas
Zayas 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
#4,414
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,045
+1,635 bearers (+25.5%)
Per 100,000 2.73
Rank movement Up 611 places
2020
#4,157
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,246
+201 bearers (+2.5%)
Per 100,000 2.76
Rank movement Up 257 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,025 | 6,410 | 2.38 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,414 | 8,045 | 2.73 | +1,635 bearers (+25.5%) | Up 611 places |
| 2020 | #4,157 | 8,246 | 2.76 | +201 bearers (+2.5%) | Up 257 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 Zayas 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 | #4,414 | #4,157 | 5.8% |
| Count | 8,045 | 8,246 | 2.5% |
| Per 100K | 2.73 | 2.76 | 1.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Zayas bearers went from 8,045 to 8,246 (+2.5% change). The surname moved up 257 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,414 to #4,157.
FAQ
Zayas surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Zayas?
Name Census estimates that about 9,456 living Americans carry the surname Zayas. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 36,247 residents.
How common is Zayas?
Zayas ranks #4,157 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.76 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 8,246 people with the surname Zayas. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (9,456), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.76 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.76 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Zayas.
Has Zayas become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Zayas went from 8,045 recorded bearers to 8,246. That is an increase of 201 (+2.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #4,414 to #4,157.
What does the Census say about the background of Zayas?
Among Census respondents with the surname Zayas, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 88.5%. The next largest groups are White (8.6%) and Black (1.5%). 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 Zayas in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.5% (7,300 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Zayas appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (88.5%), White (8.6%), Black (1.5%). 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 Zayas (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 Zayas mean?
A Spanish habitational surname derived from several places named Zayas, likely referring to an area with hedges or enclosures. 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 Zayas (2.76 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 Americans have the surname Zayas?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.