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

Armas, 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 Armas surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Armas in America

Armas is the 5773rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Armas surname appeared 6,002 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 Armas.

We can also compare 2010 data for Armas 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 Armas

The surname Armas has its origins in Spain, deriving from the Spanish word "arma" meaning "weapon" or "arms." It emerged during the medieval era, likely referring to someone associated with the arms trade or the military profession.

The name can be traced back to regions such as Castile and Aragon, where it was widely used. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Cartulario de Eslonza, a 10th-century document from the Monastery of Eslonza in León, Spain.

In the late 11th century, the surname is found in the Codex Calixtinus, a medieval manuscript that served as a guide for pilgrims traveling the Camino de Santiago. This suggests that individuals bearing the name Armas may have been involved in protecting or assisting pilgrims along this famous route.

Notable individuals with the surname Armas include Juan de Armas (c. 1490-1548), a Spanish conquistador and explorer who participated in the conquest of Peru alongside Francisco Pizarro. Another prominent figure was Rodrigo de Armas (1537-1612), a Spanish soldier and writer who authored several treatises on military strategy and tactics.

In the 16th century, the name appears in the records of the Santa Fe de Nuevo México, a Spanish colony in present-day New Mexico, indicating that individuals with the Armas surname were among the early settlers in the region.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name in the Americas was Pedro de Armas (c. 1560-1630), a Spanish colonist who settled in Havana, Cuba, and played a crucial role in the city's early development.

In the 18th century, José de Armas y Cárdenas (1748-1822) was a prominent Spanish military officer and colonial administrator who served as the governor of several provinces in Spanish America.

Throughout its history, the surname Armas has been associated with military service, colonial exploration, and administrative roles in the Spanish Empire. While the name's origins can be traced back to medieval Spain, it has since been carried to various parts of the world, reflecting the far-reaching influence of Spanish colonization.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Armas

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

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 Armas 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 Armas 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 Armas was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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