Find out how popular the last name Arguelles is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Arguelles.

Arguelles, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Arguelles surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Arguelles in America

Arguelles is the 6932nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Arguelles surname appeared 4,837 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Arguelles.

We can also compare 2010 data for Arguelles to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Arguelles

The surname Arguelles originated from Spain during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Spanish word "arguello," which means "bramble" or "thicket." This suggests that the name likely originated as a descriptive nickname for someone who lived near a thorny area or worked with brambles.

The earliest recorded instances of the Arguelles surname can be traced back to the 13th century in the regions of Castile and Aragon. It is believed that the name may have been initially spelled as "Arguello" or "Argüello" before evolving into its current form.

One notable historical reference to the Arguelles name can be found in the medieval manuscript "Libro de la Montería" (Book of the Hunt), written during the reign of King Alfonso XI of Castile in the 14th century. This text mentions several individuals with the surname Arguelles, indicating their involvement in hunting activities.

In the 15th century, the Arguelles family became prominent in the town of Argüelles, located in the Principality of Asturias. This place name likely contributed to the surname's evolution and reinforced its association with the region.

Among the notable individuals who bore the Arguelles surname throughout history are:

1. Diego Argüelles y Valdés (1617-1680), a Spanish military officer and governor of Chile from 1673 to 1676.
2. Agustín Argüelles (1776-1844), a Spanish politician and one of the leading figures in the Spanish Liberal Movement during the early 19th century.
3. José Cándido Arguelles (1813-1891), a Cuban-born Spanish writer and journalist who played a significant role in the development of Spanish Romantic literature.
4. Santiago Arguelles (1848-1910), a Spanish military officer and politician who served as the Minister of War and Navy in Spain from 1908 to 1909.
5. José Arguelles (1939-2011), an American artist, author, and activist known for his involvement in the peace and environmental movements, as well as his advocacy for the Mayan calendar.

The Arguelles surname has a rich history spanning centuries and can be traced back to its origins in medieval Spain. While it was initially associated with geographic features and occupations, it has since become a prominent name carried by influential individuals across various fields.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Arguelles

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Arguelles.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Arguelles was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Arguelles has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Arguelles was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Arguelles, please contact us.

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