Zárate
/ˈθa.ɾa.te/ or /ˈsa.ɾa.te/noun
A Basque-origin surname and place name found chiefly in Spain and Spanish-speaking regions.
Did you know?Zárate is generally interpreted as a Basque toponymic name, meaning it originally identified someone from a particular landscape rather than describing a personal trait or occupation.
Etymological Timeline
Pre-modern Basque
Basque
zara + ate
“A proposed combination of zara, ‘thicket’ or ‘wooded place,’ and ate, ‘pass’ or ‘gateway.’”
Middle Ages
Basque
Zarate
“A place name used for a locality or landscape feature in the Basque cultural area.”
Medieval Spanish records
Romance/Basque
Çárate
“A recorded surname or place-name form, with spelling influenced by medieval orthographic conventions.”
Early Modern Period
Spanish
Zárate
“A hereditary surname associated with families whose origins were linked to a place called Zárate.”
Modern English
English
Zárate
“A surname or geographical name retained in Spanish and international usage.”
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