First found in the northern Basque region of Spain, near the city of Zárate. They began to branch out into other regions of the Iberian peninsula with the Christian Reconquest of Spain from the Muslims. The family established themselves in Vizcaya, Andalusia and Madrid. An early record of the surname is of Juan Ortiz de Zárate, who died in a bloody battle at the river Zadorra in the 14th century. The family was ennobled in the early 17th century when they were made members of the Orders of Santiago, Calatrava and Alcantara.

 More

More about the Zarate History...

Please remember that this page is only a small extract of our complete history that includes:

• Ancient origin of the name (usually pre-1100)
• Known spelling variations
• Early movement of the family name during the Middle Ages
• Noteworthy bearers from the 1500-1600s
• First settlers to North America
• Notable contemporary bearers of the name
• A description and/or full color picture of the Coat of Arms, Crest, and Motto (where available)

Some of the first settlers of this family name or some of its variants were: Pedro De Zarate who sailed to Peru with his brother Juan in 1553; Luis De Zarate who arrived in the Spanish Main in 1575; Rodrigo Zarate and Juan De Zarate who came to New Spain in 1576.

For more information on the last name Zarate, the PDF Surname History is available for purchase as well as other products.