2000
#240
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113,468
First available Census row
Per 100,000 42.06
Common Last name
Salazar
A Spanish habitational surname referring to someone from any of various places named Salazar, derived from Basque "zaldu" meaning "old hall."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 173,048 Americans carry the last name Salazar. That puts it at #177 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 50.49 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,981 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Salazar 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Salazar with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
173K
1 in 1,981
Census rank
#177
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
50.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
151K
common in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 150,906 bearers of the surname Salazar in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 50.49 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 177th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Salazar, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 90.7%. The next largest groups are White (6.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Salazar
The surname Salazar has its origins in Spain, and it can be traced back to the medieval period, specifically the 11th and 12th centuries. The name is derived from the Spanish word "salazar," which means "a place where salt is obtained or processed." It is believed to have originated as a topographic name, referring to a person who lived near or worked in a salt-producing area.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Salazar name can be found in the Becerro de las Behetrias, a medieval document from the 14th century that recorded the names of landowners and their properties. The document mentions several individuals with the surname Salazar, indicating that the name was already established by that time.
In the 15th century, the Salazar family played a significant role in the history of Spain. Juan de Salazar (c. 1430-1497) was a renowned Spanish soldier who served under King Ferdinand II of Aragon and Queen Isabella I of Castile. He participated in the Reconquista, the campaign to expel the Moors from the Iberian Peninsula, and was instrumental in the conquest of Granada in 1492.
Another notable figure with the Salazar surname was Pedro de Salazar y Mendoza (1549-1629), a Spanish historian and writer. He authored several works, including the "Crónica de la Provincia de Castilla," which documented the history of the Castilian region.
In the 16th century, the name Salazar also found its way to the Americas during the Spanish colonization. One of the earliest examples is Juan de Salazar de Espinosa (c. 1508-1594), a Spanish conquistador who participated in the conquest of Mexico and later became the governor of the Yucatán Peninsula.
Another notable figure from this period was Pedro de Salazar (c. 1510-1576), a Spanish conquistador and explorer who served under Francisco Pizarro and played a crucial role in the conquest of Peru.
Throughout history, the Salazar name has been associated with various place names and older spellings. For example, the town of Salazar de las Palmas in Spain was once known as "Salazar de las Palmas de Tera," reflecting its connection to the salt-producing industry.
In conclusion, the surname Salazar has a rich history deeply rooted in Spain's medieval past, with connections to the salt-producing industry, military conquests, and exploration during the colonial era. It has left an indelible mark on history through the achievements of individuals such as Juan de Salazar, Pedro de Salazar y Mendoza, Juan de Salazar de Espinosa, and Pedro de Salazar, among others.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Salazar
Among Census respondents with the surname Salazar, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 90.7%. The next largest groups are White (6.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Salazar 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 Salazar surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino90.7% · 136,877
- White6.1% · 9,164
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.9% · 2,850
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 777
- Two or more races0.5% · 706
- Black or African American0.4% · 532
Timeline
Historical Census data for Salazar
Salazar 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
#179
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 152,703
+39,235 bearers (+34.6%)
Per 100,000 51.77
Rank movement Up 61 places
2020
#177
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 150,906
-1,797 bearers (-1.2%)
Per 100,000 50.49
Rank movement Up 2 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #240 | 113,468 | 42.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #179 | 152,703 | 51.77 | +39,235 bearers (+34.6%) | Up 61 places |
| 2020 | #177 | 150,906 | 50.49 | -1,797 bearers (-1.2%) | Up 2 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 Salazar 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 | #179 | #177 | 1.1% |
| Count | 152,703 | 150,906 | -1.2% |
| Per 100K | 51.77 | 50.49 | -2.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Salazar bearers went from 152,703 to 150,906 (-1.2% change). The surname moved up 2 positions in the national ranking, going from #179 to #177.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Salazar
FAQ
Salazar surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Salazar?
Name Census estimates that about 173,048 living Americans carry the surname Salazar. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,981 residents.
How common is Salazar?
Salazar ranks #177 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Common." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 50.49 per 100,000 residents, which is about 50 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 150,906 people with the surname Salazar. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (173,048), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 50.49 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 50.49 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 50 of them to have the surname Salazar.
Has Salazar become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Salazar went from 152,703 recorded bearers to 150,906. That is a decrease of 1,797 (-1.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #179 to #177.
What does the Census say about the background of Salazar?
Among Census respondents with the surname Salazar, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 90.7%. The next largest groups are White (6.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%). 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 Salazar in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.7% (136,877 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Salazar appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (90.7%), White (6.1%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%). 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 Salazar (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 Salazar mean?
A Spanish habitational surname referring to someone from any of various places named Salazar, derived from Basque "zaldu" meaning "old hall." 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 Salazar (50.49 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 have the surname Salazar?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.