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

Zerpa, 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 Zerpa surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Zerpa in America

Zerpa is the 82908th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Zerpa surname appeared 227 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 Zerpa.

We can also compare 2010 data for Zerpa 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 Zerpa

The surname Zerpa is believed to have originated in Spain, specifically in the region of the Canary Islands. It is thought to have emerged around the late Middle Ages, possibly in the 15th or 16th century. The name is concentrated in this archipelago, particularly in the islands of Gran Canaria and Tenerife. The origin of Zerpa is uncertain; it may be derived from an old Spanish word or could be a locational surname relating to a small geographical feature or settlement that once existed.

Several old documents and records from the Canary Islands have included instances of the surname Zerpa. The earliest known references can be found in municipal records and parish registers; one of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname is Gonzalo de Zerpa, a resident of Tenerife in the late 1600s. The exact etymology of the surname Zerpa remains unclear, but some theories suggest it may have roots in the pre-Hispanic Guanche language, which was spoken by the original inhabitants of the Canary Islands before the Spanish conquest.

Early spellings of the name have remained consistent, with Zerpa being the most common form. Place names or significant landmarks directly associated with the surname have not been conclusively identified, but it is possible there were small hamlets or estates that carried the Zerpa name in the past.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Zerpa. One example is Juan de Zerpa, who lived in the mid-1700s and served as a local official in Gran Canaria. In the 19th century, Manuel Zerpa (1810-1878) was a prominent landowner and politician in Tenerife. Moving into the 20th century, Eduardo Zerpa (1895-1973) was a well-known historian and cultural promoter in Venezuela, a country that saw migration from the Canary Islands. Another influential figure is Luis Zerpa, born in 1945, who gained recognition as an author and activist in Latin America.

Currently, the surname Zerpa remains most closely associated with the Canary Islands and their descendants in Latin America, particularly in countries like Venezuela and Cuba. Historical and cultural connections to the Canary Islands illustrate the enduring legacy and geographical specificity of the Zerpa surname. Through these examples and historical references, the Zerpa name provides a fascinating glimpse into Spanish and Latin American heritage.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Zerpa

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

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

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

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