2000
#4,219
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,785
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.89
Uncommon Last name
Zelaya
Basque habitational surname denoting someone from a place called Zelaia, meaning "field" or "meadow."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 15,941 Americans carry the last name Zelaya. That puts it at #2,533 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 4.65 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 21,501 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Zelaya 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
16K
1 in 21,501
Census rank
#2,533
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
4.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
14K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 13,901 bearers of the surname Zelaya in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 4.65 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2533rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Zelaya, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 93.9%. The next largest groups are White (4.4%) and Black (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Zelaya
The surname Zelaya has its origins in Honduras, Central America. It is derived from the Nahuatl word "Xallapan," which translates to "place of sand." This name likely originated in the 16th century during the Spanish conquest of the region.
The name is closely associated with the town of Zelaya in the department of Olancho, Honduras. This town was likely named after an indigenous leader or landowner with the surname Zelaya. The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in colonial records and documents from this area.
One of the earliest known bearers of the surname Zelaya was Miguel Zelaya, a landowner and cattle rancher who lived in the town of Zelaya in the late 17th century. His descendants continued to use the surname and played a prominent role in the local community for generations.
Another notable figure with the surname Zelaya was José Santos Zelaya (1853-1919), who served as President of Nicaragua from 1893 to 1909. He was a controversial figure known for his efforts to modernize the country and his conflicts with the United States and other foreign powers.
In the 20th century, Ramón Emilio Zelaya (1905-1987) was a Honduran poet and writer who is considered one of the most important literary figures in Honduran history. His works, including "Canto a la Tierra" (Song to the Land), explored themes of nature, indigenous culture, and national identity.
Another notable bearer of the surname Zelaya was Carlos Roberto Zelaya (1950-1995), a Salvadoran human rights activist and lawyer. He was assassinated in 1995 for his work defending the rights of the poor and marginalized in El Salvador.
Manuel Zelaya (born 1952) is a former President of Honduras who served from 2006 to 2009. He was controversially ousted in a military coup in 2009, leading to a period of political turmoil in the country.
The surname Zelaya has its roots in the indigenous cultures of Central America and has been associated with prominent figures in the region's history, literature, and politics over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Zelaya
Among Census respondents with the surname Zelaya, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 93.9%. The next largest groups are White (4.4%) and Black (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Zelaya 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 Zelaya surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino93.9% · 13,054
- White4.4% · 612
- Black or African American1.0% · 135
- Two or more races0.3% · 43
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 39
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 18
Timeline
Historical Census data for Zelaya
Zelaya 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
#2,886
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,448
+4,663 bearers (+59.9%)
Per 100,000 4.22
Rank movement Up 1,333 places
2020
#2,533
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 13,901
+1,453 bearers (+11.7%)
Per 100,000 4.65
Rank movement Up 353 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,219 | 7,785 | 2.89 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,886 | 12,448 | 4.22 | +4,663 bearers (+59.9%) | Up 1,333 places |
| 2020 | #2,533 | 13,901 | 4.65 | +1,453 bearers (+11.7%) | Up 353 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 Zelaya 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 | #2,886 | #2,533 | 12.2% |
| Count | 12,448 | 13,901 | 11.7% |
| Per 100K | 4.22 | 4.65 | 10.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Zelaya bearers went from 12,448 to 13,901 (+11.7% change). The surname moved up 353 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,886 to #2,533.
FAQ
Zelaya surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Zelaya?
Name Census estimates that about 15,941 living Americans carry the surname Zelaya. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 21,501 residents.
How common is Zelaya?
Zelaya ranks #2,533 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 4.65 per 100,000 residents, which is about 5 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 13,901 people with the surname Zelaya. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (15,941), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 4.65 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 4.65 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 5 of them to have the surname Zelaya.
Has Zelaya become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Zelaya went from 12,448 recorded bearers to 13,901. That is an increase of 1,453 (+11.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #2,886 to #2,533.
What does the Census say about the background of Zelaya?
Among Census respondents with the surname Zelaya, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 93.9%. The next largest groups are White (4.4%) and Black (1.0%). 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 Zelaya in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.9% (13,054 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Zelaya appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (93.9%), White (4.4%), Black (1.0%). 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 Zelaya (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 Zelaya mean?
Basque habitational surname denoting someone from a place called Zelaia, meaning "field" or "meadow." 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 Zelaya (4.65 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 Zelaya?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.