The Meza surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 53,230 people carried this name — #639 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 5,540 people counted. That is up 41% from 37,662 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Meza surname

A toponymic surname of Spanish origin, most frequently found in this spelling in Latin America.

From Spanish Meza, a toponymic surname from Old Spanish meza (“plateau, mesa”).

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Meza» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

In Argentina’s national register

At least 47,699 people named Meza live in Argentina.

RENAPER only publishes a name in a province when more than ten people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in Buenos Aires Province.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Where they live today

Buenos Aires Province 20,387
Corrientes 7,175
Chaco 5,238
Santa Fe 2,884
Misiones 2,869
City of Buenos Aires 2,861
Formosa 2,146
Córdoba 636

RENAPER (National Registry of Persons, Argentina), surnames of residents by province, December 2021 — CC BY 4.0.

In Switzerland’s population statistics

115 people named Meza live in Switzerland.

They live in 10 of Switzerland’s 26 cantons, most of all in Geneva.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they live today

Geneva 31
Vaud 26
Zurich 15
Bern 11
Fribourg 10
Solothurn 8
Valais 5
St. Gallen 3

Swiss Federal Statistical Office (FSO), «Surnames of the permanent resident population by canton», 2025, opendata.swiss/en/dataset/nachnamen-der-standigen-wohnbevolkerung-nach-kanton3 · names with fewer than 3 bearers in a canton are not published.

In France’s civil register

France’s register of deaths holds 20 people named Meza.

7 of them were born outside France. Those born in France came from 5 départements, most often Paris.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they were born

Born outside France 7
Paris 7
Isère 2
Puy-de-Dôme 2
Gironde 1
Rhône 1

Fichier des personnes décédées, INSEE — Licence Ouverte 2.0 · deaths recorded in France since 1970, by place of birth.

In national population registers

152 people named Meza are counted in Slovenia and Sweden.

Sweden’s figure is from 31 December 2022, the last count Statistics Sweden published. Slovenia counts its residents on 1 January 2026.

Counted, by country

Slovenia (2026) 121
Sweden (2022) 31

Own calculations based on data from Statistics Sweden (SCB), surnames with at least two bearers, 31 December 2022 — CC BY 4.0 (names with 20 or more bearers shown) · source: Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia (SURS), SiStat tables 05X1015S–05X1018S, family names of the population, 1 January 2026 (names with 20 or more bearers shown).

In print

Meza in American newspapers,
1868–1906.

Newspaper page from New-York Tribune carrying the name Meza
New-York Tribune 1868-09-14
Newspaper page from Washingtoner Journal carrying the name Meza
Washingtoner Journal 1883-08-13
Newspaper page from The Washington Times carrying the name Meza
The Washington Times 1906-03-24

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 28,523 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Meza in Australian newspapers,
1920s–1980s.

33 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Meza. The most, 11, date from the 1950s.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 11
South Australia 6
ACT (Canberra) 4
Queensland 4
Victoria 3
Tasmania 2
Western Australia 2

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Meza.

Who carried it

People named Meza,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Christian Julius de Meza
    Christian Julius de Meza 1792–1865 · military personnel
  • Ladislao F. Meza
    Ladislao F. Meza 1892–1925 · writer
  • Lisandro Meza
    Lisandro Meza 1937–2023 · composer

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped — Lisandro Meza: latinustv, CC BY 3.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0); the others are in the public domain or CC0 · 135 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Meza,
in the records of 5 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States854 records

854 records of the Meza name in the United States
  • U.S. alien registration index, 1940–1955 652
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 120
  • U.S. veterans' cemetery records, burials to 2001 52
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 24
  • Passenger arrivals in the United States, 1820–1912 2
  • New York State death index (outside NYC), 1957–2001 2
  • U.S. service members who died in the Korean War 1
  • U.S. service members who died in the Vietnam War 1
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Louis L. Meza

    Born 1919 in California. Enlisted 1940 at San Francisco; mechanic's helper. U.S. Army Air Forces veteran of World War II; died 1987, buried at Golden Gate National Cemetery, California.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Donato Meza

    Arrived at New York in 1912 aboard the Canada from Marseilles, Naples and Palermo, aged 33; farm laborer. From Genzano, Roma, Italy; bound for Brooklyn.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)
  3. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Jesus James Meza

    Born 1948; from San Bernardino, California. U.S. Army, infantryman; killed in action 1970 in Binh Thuan, South Vietnam.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain)

Showing 3 of 854 records for Meza in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain).

France12 records

12 records of the Meza name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Marie Catherine Meza

    Born 1903 in Ternay; died 1990 in Lyon (Rhône).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  2. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Jean Mescene Meza

    Born 1926 in Haiti; died 1996 in Fort-de-France (Martinique).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  3. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Emile Eugene Meza

    Born 1930 in Vienne; died 1984 in Vienne (Isère).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Showing 3 of 12 records for Meza in France.

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

Netherlands5 records

5 records of the Meza name in the Netherlands Dutch population registers
  1. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register Sara Meza

    In the population register of Amsterdam; born 1821 in Amsterdam.

    Open Archives, Stadsarchief Amsterdam (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register Sara Meza

    In the population register of Amsterdam; born 1831 in Schoonhoven.

    Open Archives, Stadsarchief Amsterdam (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register Rachel Meza

    In the population register of Amsterdam; born 1824 in Amsterdam.

    Open Archives, Stadsarchief Amsterdam (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 5 records for Meza in the Netherlands.

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain).

Canada1 record

1 record of the Meza name in Canada City of Calgary cemetery records
  1. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Maria Teresa Meza

    Buried in 1986 at Queen's Park Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 63.

    City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.

Counts: City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0).

Australia1 record

1 record of the Meza name in Australia Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923
  1. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record A. De Meza

    Arrived in Victoria in 1913 aboard the Osterley, aged 22.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Meza.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Meza is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

See the Meza volume
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