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

Brenes, 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 Brenes surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Brenes in America

Brenes is the 13855th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Brenes surname appeared 2,181 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Brenes.

We can also compare 2010 data for Brenes 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 Brenes

The surname Brenes has its origins in Spain, with records indicating its use as early as the 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Spanish word "brena," which means "heather" or "gorse," suggesting that the name may have originated from a place where these plants were abundant.

One of the earliest known references to the Brenes surname can be found in the Repartimiento de Sevilla, a historical document that recorded the distribution of land and property in Seville after the Christian conquest of the city in 1248. This document mentions several individuals with the surname Brenes, indicating their presence in the region during that time.

In the 14th century, the Brenes surname appeared in various records and manuscripts throughout Spain, particularly in the regions of Andalusia and Extremadura. One notable example is the Libro de los Repartimientos de Lorca, a document from 1271 that lists several Brenes families among the repopulation of the city of Lorca after its reconquest.

Over the centuries, the Brenes surname has been associated with several notable individuals. One of the earliest recorded is Andrés Brenes, a Spanish soldier and explorer who participated in the conquest of the Canary Islands in the 15th century. Another notable figure was Juan Brenes, a renowned painter from Seville who lived in the 16th century and is known for his religious works.

In the 17th century, the Brenes surname gained prominence with the birth of Alonso Brenes (1620-1692), a Spanish architect and sculptor who contributed to the construction of several notable buildings in Seville, including the Palacio de San Telmo and the Iglesia del Salvador.

Another notable individual was Francisco Brenes Mesía (1744-1819), a Spanish military officer and colonial administrator who served as the Governor of Nicaragua from 1786 to 1796. He played a significant role in the development of the region during his tenure.

In the 19th century, the Brenes surname was carried by José María Brenes Moreira (1826-1891), a Costa Rican politician and diplomat who served as the President of Costa Rica from 1876 to 1882. He is remembered for his efforts to modernize the country and promote education.

The surname Brenes has also been associated with various place names throughout Spain, such as Brenes, a town located in the province of Seville, and Breña Alta and Breña Baja, two municipalities in the Canary Islands. These place names likely derive from the same Spanish word "brena," further reinforcing the connection between the surname and the vegetation found in these areas.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Brenes

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

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

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

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