2000
#20,512
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,202
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.45
Rare Last name
Zuluaga
A Spanish surname possibly derived from the Basque place name Zulueta or related to the Zulu people.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,470 Americans carry the last name Zuluaga. That puts it at #13,501 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.72 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 138,767 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Zuluaga 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
2.5K
1 in 138,767
Census rank
#13,501
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,154 bearers of the surname Zuluaga in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.72 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13501st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Zuluaga, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 92.4%. The next largest groups are White (5.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Zuluaga
The surname Zuluaga has its origins in the Basque Country, a region located in northern Spain and southwestern France. The Basque language, known as Euskara, is unique and unrelated to any other language in Europe, which gives Basque surnames like Zuluaga a distinct and ancient character. The name Zuluaga is derived from the Basque words "zulo," meaning "hole" or "cave," and "aga," a locative suffix implying a place. Thus, Zuluaga can be translated to "place of the hole" or "place of the cave."
Historically, surnames in the Basque Country often took on locative meanings related to geographical features, which helps to trace them back to specific areas. The name Zuluaga likely originated from places characterized by notable depressions or caves. One of the earliest mentions of this surname can be traced back to medieval records, though exact dates are often difficult to pinpoint due to the scarcity of written documentation in the early periods.
In terms of historical references, the name Zuluaga appears in various legal documents, land grants, and ecclesiastical records from the 15th and 16th centuries in the Basque region. These documents often detail activities such as land transactions and registrations, suggesting that bearers of the surname were landowners or individuals of some social standing.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the surname Zuluaga is Martín de Zuluaga, an individual noted in 16th-century records. His presence in historical documents indicates the established use of the surname during this period. The surname has also been associated with the locality of Zuluaga, a small village in the province of Álava, which further supports the geographic origins of the name.
Among the famous individuals bearing this surname, Ignacio Zuloaga y Zabaleta (1870–1945) stands out. He was a renowned Spanish painter known for his portraits and genre scenes, and his works are celebrated for their emotional depth and vivid use of color. Another notable figure is Eustasio Zuluaga, a Colombian coffee grower and landowner in the early 20th century, who made significant contributions to Colombia's coffee industry.
In more recent history, Jaime Bernal Zuluaga (born 1940) is prominent in the field of genetics and medicine in Colombia, known for his influential work in genetic research. Additionally, Gustavo Zuluaga Córdoba (1939–2004) was an important Colombian politician and public servant who played an active role in regional governance.
Overall, the surname Zuluaga has a rich history deeply rooted in the Basque Country, characterized by its geographical connections and the notable contributions of its bearers throughout history. The evolution of this surname through various historical records and its connection to specific locales highlight the enduring legacy of the name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Zuluaga
Among Census respondents with the surname Zuluaga, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 92.4%. The next largest groups are White (5.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Zuluaga 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 Zuluaga surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino92.4% · 1,990
- White5.8% · 125
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 24
- Black or African American0.4% · 8
- Two or more races0.2% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Zuluaga
Zuluaga 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
#15,579
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,877
+675 bearers (+56.2%)
Per 100,000 0.64
Rank movement Up 4,933 places
2020
#13,501
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,154
+277 bearers (+14.8%)
Per 100,000 0.72
Rank movement Up 2,078 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #20,512 | 1,202 | 0.45 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #15,579 | 1,877 | 0.64 | +675 bearers (+56.2%) | Up 4,933 places |
| 2020 | #13,501 | 2,154 | 0.72 | +277 bearers (+14.8%) | Up 2,078 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 Zuluaga 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 | #15,579 | #13,501 | 13.3% |
| Count | 1,877 | 2,154 | 14.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.64 | 0.72 | 12.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Zuluaga bearers went from 1,877 to 2,154 (+14.8% change). The surname moved up 2,078 positions in the national ranking, going from #15,579 to #13,501.
FAQ
Zuluaga surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Zuluaga?
Name Census estimates that about 2,470 living Americans carry the surname Zuluaga. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 138,767 residents.
How common is Zuluaga?
Zuluaga ranks #13,501 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.72 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 2,154 people with the surname Zuluaga. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,470), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.72 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.72 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 Zuluaga.
Has Zuluaga become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Zuluaga went from 1,877 recorded bearers to 2,154. That is an increase of 277 (+14.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #15,579 to #13,501.
What does the Census say about the background of Zuluaga?
Among Census respondents with the surname Zuluaga, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 92.4%. The next largest groups are White (5.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.1%). 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 Zuluaga in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.4% (1,990 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Zuluaga appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (92.4%), White (5.8%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.1%). 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 Zuluaga (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 Zuluaga mean?
A Spanish surname possibly derived from the Basque place name Zulueta or related to the Zulu people. 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 Zuluaga (0.72 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 are called Zuluaga?
Want to know how many people are called Zuluaga? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.