2000
#11,023
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,646
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.98
Rare Last name
Zazueta
A Basque surname derived from the word "zazu," meaning a type of willow basket.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,437 Americans carry the last name Zazueta. That puts it at #8,198 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.29 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 77,249 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Zazueta 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
4.4K
1 in 77,249
Census rank
#8,198
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,869 bearers of the surname Zazueta in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.29 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8198th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Zazueta, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 94.8%. The next largest groups are White (3.7%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Zazueta
The surname Zazueta has its origins in the Basque region of northern Spain, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Basque words "zazu" meaning "you have" and "eta" meaning "and," possibly referring to a landowner or individual of importance. The name may have originated as a nickname or descriptive term before becoming a hereditary surname.
Early spellings of the name included Zaçueta, Zazuetta, and Çazueta, reflecting the variations in orthography and pronunciation common in the Basque language. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Cartulario de San Millán de la Cogolla, a medieval manuscript from the 11th century, where a certain Sancho Zazueta is mentioned as a landowner in the region.
In the 13th century, a branch of the Zazueta family settled in the town of Vitoria-Gasteiz, located in the Basque province of Álava. A prominent member of this branch was Juan Martínez de Zazueta (c. 1280-1345), who served as a royal advisor and diplomat during the reign of Alfonso XI of Castile.
Another notable figure was Martín Pérez de Zazueta (c. 1420-1489), a Basque nobleman and military commander who fought in the Reconquista campaigns against the Moors. He was granted lands and titles in recognition of his service to the Crown of Castile.
In the 16th century, the Zazueta family expanded its influence and established branches in other parts of Spain, as well as in the Spanish colonies of the Americas. One such individual was Diego de Zazueta (c. 1525-1590), a conquistador and explorer who accompanied Hernán Cortés in the conquest of Mexico.
During the 17th century, a branch of the Zazueta family settled in the Viceroyalty of New Spain (present-day Mexico), where they became involved in mining and agriculture. Notable members of this branch included Francisca de Zazueta (c. 1610-1680), a wealthy landowner and philanthropist, and Pedro de Zazueta (c. 1650-1715), a prominent mine owner and patron of the arts.
Throughout its history, the Zazueta surname has been associated with various places in the Basque region, such as the towns of Vitoria-Gasteiz, Bilbao, and San Sebastián, as well as with the broader Basque Country and its cultural traditions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Zazueta
Among Census respondents with the surname Zazueta, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 94.8%. The next largest groups are White (3.7%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Zazueta 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 Zazueta surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino94.8% · 3,666
- White3.7% · 143
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 29
- Two or more races0.3% · 13
- Black or African American0.2% · 9
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.2% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Zazueta
Zazueta 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
#8,687
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,782
+1,136 bearers (+42.9%)
Per 100,000 1.28
Rank movement Up 2,336 places
2020
#8,198
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,869
+87 bearers (+2.3%)
Per 100,000 1.29
Rank movement Up 489 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,023 | 2,646 | 0.98 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,687 | 3,782 | 1.28 | +1,136 bearers (+42.9%) | Up 2,336 places |
| 2020 | #8,198 | 3,869 | 1.29 | +87 bearers (+2.3%) | Up 489 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 Zazueta 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 | #8,687 | #8,198 | 5.6% |
| Count | 3,782 | 3,869 | 2.3% |
| Per 100K | 1.28 | 1.29 | 1.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Zazueta bearers went from 3,782 to 3,869 (+2.3% change). The surname moved up 489 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,687 to #8,198.
FAQ
Zazueta surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Zazueta?
Name Census estimates that about 4,437 living Americans carry the surname Zazueta. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 77,249 residents.
How common is Zazueta?
Zazueta ranks #8,198 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.29 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 3,869 people with the surname Zazueta. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,437), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.29 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.29 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 Zazueta.
Has Zazueta become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Zazueta went from 3,782 recorded bearers to 3,869. That is an increase of 87 (+2.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #8,687 to #8,198.
What does the Census say about the background of Zazueta?
Among Census respondents with the surname Zazueta, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 94.8%. The next largest groups are White (3.7%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.7%). 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 Zazueta in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.8% (3,666 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Zazueta appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (94.8%), White (3.7%), American Indian/Alaska Native (0.7%). 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 Zazueta (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 Zazueta mean?
A Basque surname derived from the word "zazu," meaning a type of willow basket. 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 Zazueta (1.29 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 share the surname Zazueta?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.