2000
#804
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 39,057
First available Census row
Per 100,000 14.48
Uncommon Last name
Zuniga
A Basque habitational surname denoting someone from any of the various places called Zuñiga in northern Spain.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 64,062 Americans carry the last name Zuniga. That puts it at #587 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 18.69 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 5,350 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Zuniga 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
64K
1 in 5,350
Census rank
#587
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
18.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
56K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 55,865 bearers of the surname Zuniga in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 18.69 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 587th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Zuniga, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 93.5%. The next largest groups are White (4.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Zuniga
The surname Zuniga is of Spanish origin, tracing its roots back to the Middle Ages in the Iberian Peninsula. It is believed to have originated from the Basque region of Spain, where the name was derived from the Basque word "Zunitz," meaning "oak tree." This association with oak trees suggests that the name may have initially been a toponymic surname, referring to someone who lived near or was associated with a particular oak tree or oak grove.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname Zuniga can be found in medieval Spanish documents dating back to the 11th and 12th centuries. One notable example is the appearance of the name in the Codex Calixtinus, a 12th-century manuscript documenting the pilgrimage routes to Santiago de Compostela. The Codex mentions individuals with the surname Zuniga, indicating their presence in the region during that time period.
In the 13th century, the Zuniga family rose to prominence as members of the Spanish nobility. One of the earliest recorded individuals with this surname was Diego López de Zuniga, who lived during the reign of King Alfonso X of Castile in the mid-13th century. He served as a prominent military leader and was granted significant land holdings in the region of Extremadura.
Another notable figure was Álvaro de Zuniga, who was born in the late 14th century and served as a military commander and diplomat during the reigns of John II and Henry IV of Castile. He played a significant role in the conflicts between the Crown of Castile and the Kingdom of Aragon, and his political influence and military exploits earned him the title of Duke of Arévalo.
In the 16th century, the Zuniga family continued to hold significant power and influence in Spain. One prominent member was Francisco de Zuniga y Avellaneda, who was born in 1536 and served as the Spanish ambassador to the Holy Roman Empire and later as the Viceroy of Naples. He was instrumental in negotiating the Treaty of Vervins, which ended the long-running war between Spain and France.
Moving into the 17th century, Juan de Zuniga y Arista, born in 1614, was a Spanish military commander who played a crucial role in the Thirty Years' War. He served as the Governor of the Spanish Netherlands and was responsible for the successful defense of the Low Countries against the forces of France and the Dutch Republic.
These are just a few examples of the historical significance and prominence of the Zuniga surname within Spain and its territories over several centuries. The name has been carried by notable figures in various fields, including military leaders, diplomats, and members of the nobility, reflecting the rich heritage and legacy associated with this Spanish surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Zuniga
Among Census respondents with the surname Zuniga, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 93.5%. The next largest groups are White (4.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Zuniga 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 Zuniga surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino93.5% · 52,237
- White4.6% · 2,550
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 499
- Black or African American0.5% · 305
- Two or more races0.3% · 154
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 120
Timeline
Historical Census data for Zuniga
Zuniga 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
#600
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 56,347
+17,290 bearers (+44.3%)
Per 100,000 19.10
Rank movement Up 204 places
2020
#587
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 55,865
-482 bearers (-0.9%)
Per 100,000 18.69
Rank movement Up 13 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #804 | 39,057 | 14.48 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #600 | 56,347 | 19.10 | +17,290 bearers (+44.3%) | Up 204 places |
| 2020 | #587 | 55,865 | 18.69 | -482 bearers (-0.9%) | Up 13 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 Zuniga 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 | #600 | #587 | 2.2% |
| Count | 56,347 | 55,865 | -0.9% |
| Per 100K | 19.10 | 18.69 | -2.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Zuniga bearers went from 56,347 to 55,865 (-0.9% change). The surname moved up 13 positions in the national ranking, going from #600 to #587.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Zuniga
FAQ
Zuniga surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Zuniga?
Name Census estimates that about 64,062 living Americans carry the surname Zuniga. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 5,350 residents.
How common is Zuniga?
Zuniga ranks #587 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 18.69 per 100,000 residents, which is about 19 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 55,865 people with the surname Zuniga. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (64,062), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 18.69 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 18.69 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 19 of them to have the surname Zuniga.
Has Zuniga become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Zuniga went from 56,347 recorded bearers to 55,865. That is a decrease of 482 (-0.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #600 to #587.
What does the Census say about the background of Zuniga?
Among Census respondents with the surname Zuniga, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 93.5%. The next largest groups are White (4.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%). 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 Zuniga in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.5% (52,237 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Zuniga appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (93.5%), White (4.6%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%). 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 Zuniga (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 Zuniga mean?
A Basque habitational surname denoting someone from any of the various places called Zuñiga in northern Spain. 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 Zuniga (18.69 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 Zuniga?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.