This list of Hispanic last names starting with Z is based on the 2010 United States census.
I have only included “Z” surnames where at least 60% of the holders declared that they were Hispanic.
We’ve got the historic origins and meanings of the most common names in our lists. We also take a look at the Mexican census of 1930 and show comparisons with the United States.
Notes About Our Hispanic List
The U.S. census of 2010 included a question that asked if the person was “Spanish / Hispanic/ Latino”.
We used a cutoff of 60% to ensure that the last names were typically Hispanic.
Columns
The tables below show you the number of people of this surname who declared on the census that they were Hispanic.
The next column shows the total number of people bearing that name. The percentage of Hispanic names is a simple calculation of the second column divided by the third.
The final column shows how common the surname is in the United States.
Most Common Hispanic Last Names Beginning With Z
These were the five most common Hispanic “Z” surnames in the 2010 U.S. census.
The names are in descending order:
- Zamora
- Zuniga
- Zavala
- Zapata
- Zepeda
I give the origins and meanings of the names in the sections below. The exact numbers from the census are in the tables.
Hispanic Last Names Beginning With Z
Zamora had over sixty-one thousand people with the name in 2010. Ninety-one percent declared they were Hispanic.
Historically, the early bearers in Spain came from the northwestern town of the same name.
| Last Name | # Who Declared Hispanic | # Total Holders | % Declared Hispanic |
| Zabala | 3,261 | 4,348 | 75.00% |
| Zacarias | 5,162 | 5,633 | 91.64% |
| Zagal | 779 | 816 | 95.47% |
| Zaldana | 816 | 849 | 96.11% |
| Zaldivar | 1,993 | 2,206 | 90.34% |
| Zamarripa | 6,938 | 7,322 | 94.76% |
| Zamarron | 2,442 | 2,617 | 93.31% |
| Zambrana | 1,822 | 2,040 | 89.31% |
| Zambrano | 15,622 | 17,092 | 91.40% |
| Zamora | 56,303 | 61,729 | 91.21% |
| Zamorano | 3,732 | 3,926 | 95.06% |
| Zamudio | 10,778 | 11,384 | 94.68% |
Historically, the early bearers of the name Zapata would have been shoemakers.
The meaning comes from the word for a half boot.
| Last Name | # Who Declared Hispanic | # Total Holders | % Declared Hispanic |
| Zapata | 29,782 | 32,274 | 92.28% |
| Zapien | 3,123 | 3,298 | 94.69% |
| Zaragoza | 17,683 | 18,908 | 93.52% |
| Zarate | 19,581 | 20,992 | 93.28% |
| Zarazua | 1,510 | 1,556 | 97.04% |
| Zarco | 2,167 | 2,304 | 94.05% |
| Zatarain | 1,013 | 1,162 | 87.18% |
Zavala also has Basque origins.
There are several places named Zabala in the Basque Country. Zavala is a variant of this name.
| Last Name | # Who Declared Hispanic | # Total Holders | % Declared Hispanic |
| Zavala | 49,173 | 51,153 | 96.13% |
| Zavaleta | 2,909 | 3,036 | 95.82% |
| Zavalza | 911 | 931 | 97.85% |
| Zayas | 7,222 | 8,045 | 89.77% |
| Zazueta | 3,618 | 3,782 | 95.66% |
Zepeda is a variant of the surname Cepeda.
There are towns named Cepeda in Salamanca and in Avila province.
The meaning comes from the words for a tree stump.
| Last Name | # Who Declared Hispanic | # Total Holders | % Declared Hispanic |
| Zea | 901 | 1,337 | 67.39% |
| Zelaya | 11,709 | 12,448 | 94.06% |
| Zeledon | 1,667 | 1,817 | 91.74% |
| Zendejas | 4,808 | 4,988 | 96.39% |
| Zenteno | 992 | 1,031 | 96.22% |
| Zepeda | 27,748 | 29,252 | 94.86% |
| Zermeno | 4,174 | 4,455 | 93.69% |
| Zertuche | 1,588 | 1,792 | 88.62% |
| Zetina | 1,107 | 1,219 | 90.81% |
| Zetino | 947 | 979 | 96.73% |
| Zevallos | 1,103 | 1,213 | 90.93% |
Zuniga is a Basque name. There is a place of that name in Navarre in northern Spain.
The meaning comes from the Basque words for a cultivated sloping field.
| Last Name | # Who Declared Hispanic | # Total Holders | % Declared Hispanic |
| Zorrilla | 1,698 | 1,856 | 91.49% |
| Zubia | 2,182 | 2,340 | 93.25% |
| Zubiate | 976 | 1,055 | 92.51% |
| Zuleta | 812 | 866 | 93.76% |
| Zuluaga | 1,719 | 1,877 | 91.58% |
| Zumba | 732 | 781 | 93.73% |
| Zuniga | 52,921 | 56,347 | 93.92% |
| Zuno | 1,001 | 1,092 | 91.67% |
| Zurita | 4,478 | 4,770 | 93.88% |
