# Zayas (surname)

Zayas is a Castilian surname rooted in the toponym of the same name, which itself derives from the Basque word zai, meaning watchman or guard.

## Places

The following places in Spain are related to the surname Zayas:
* Zayas de Báscones, Soria (es)
* Zayas de la Torre, Soria (es)
* Zayas de Torre, Soria (es)
* Zayuelas, Soria (es)
* Zay, Navarra
* Zaya, Navarra
* Zaitua, Vizcaya
* Záitegui, Álava

## People

Notable people with the surname Zayas or one of its variations include:
* Ada Zayas-Bazán, Cuban writer
* Agustín de las Cuentas Zayas, Spanish Governor of Sonora (es)
* Alberto Álvarez de Zayas, Cuban botanist
* Alberto Zayas, Cuban rumba musician
* Alexandra Zayas, American investigative reporter
* Alfonso de Zayas de Bobadilla, Spanish aristocrat and Falange supporter (es)
* Alfonso Zayas, Mexican actor (es)
* Alfred-Maurice de Zayas, Cuban-American lawyer
* Alfredo Zayas y Alfonso, President of Cuba between 1921 and 1925, brother of Juan Bruno Zayas
* Anastacio Zayas Alvarado, Puerto Rican sugarcane worker
* Ángel L. Malavé Zayas, Puerto Rican politician
* Antonio de Zayas, Spanish diplomat and writer
* Armando Zayas, Mexican orchestra director (es)
* Bigram John Zayas, American DJ and producer
* Billy Colón Zayas, Puerto Rican guitarist
* Carlos Saladrigas Zayas, Cuban politician
* Carlos Zayas, Spanish politician (es)
* César Zayas, Paraguayan footballer
* Cirilo R. Zayas, Paraguayan composer and writer
* Cristóbal de Zayas, Spanish Governor of Yucatán (es)
* Daniel de Zayas, Goya Award-winning sound engineer
* David Zayas, Puerto Rican-American actor
* Edwin Colón Zayas, Puerto Rican cuatro player
* Eliseo Roberto Colón Zayas, Puerto Rican mass media researcher
* Elizabeth Zayas Ortiz, Miss Puerto Rico 1976
* Felipe Salido Zayas, Mexican politician (es)
* Fernando de Zayas, Cuban entomologist
* Francisco Zayas Seijo, Puerto Rican politician
* Gabriel de Zayas, Spanish Secretary of State (es)
* George de Zayas, Mexican caricature artist
* Hector de Zayas, U.S. Marine Corps officer and Navy Cross recipient
* Héctor Zayas Chardón, Puerto Rican cooperativist (es)
* Ivania Zayas Ortiz, Puerto Rican singer
* Jesús Carreras Zayas, Cuban commander (es)
* Jesús Guerra Zayas, Cuban musician and songwriter (es)
* Joel Zayas, Paraguayan football goalkeeper
* José Francisco Martí Zayas Bazán, Cuban politician and army general (es)
* José Pascual de Zayas y Chacón, commander of the Spanish Army
* Juan Alonso Zayas, Puerto Rican Second Lieutenant of the Spanish Army
* Juan Antoine y Zayas, Spanish diplomat (es)
* Juan Bruno Zayas, Cuban doctor and army general, brother of Alfredo Zayas (es)
* Liza Colón-Zayas, American actress and playwright
* Luis H. Zayas, American psychologist
* Manuel Zayas, Cuban journalist and filmmaker (es)
* María de Zayas, Spanish writer
* Marius de Zayas, Mexican artist
* Máximo Othón Zayas, Mexican politician
* Miguel Aurelio Díaz Zayas, Cuban percussionist
* Nicolás Osorio y Zayas, Spanish aristocrat (es)
* Octavio Zaya, Spanish-American art critic
* Orlando Zayas, Paraguayan beach soccer player
* Pedro Pimentel Zayas, Spanish lieutenant general (es)
* Pedro de Zayas, Spanish sculptor (es)
* Rafael de Zayas Enríquez, Mexican historian
* Ricky Zayas, Puerto Rican trumpeter and arranger
* Roberto Muñoz-Zayas, President of the Puerto Rican Athletics Federation
* Samuel Zayas, Dominican footballer
* Sergio Mancilla Zayas, Mexican politician
* Sergio Zayas, Argentine swimmer
* Tomás Rafael Rodríguez Zayas, Cuban artist
* Wampa Zayas, American heavy metal drummer
* Yoan Limonta Zayas, Cuban baseball player
* Yunior Díaz Zayas, Cuban track and field athlete