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

Candelaria, 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 Candelaria surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Candelaria in America

Candelaria is the 4176th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Candelaria surname appeared 8,483 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Candelaria.

We can also compare 2010 data for Candelaria 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 Candelaria

The surname Candelaria is of Spanish origin, derived from the Spanish word "candela," meaning "candle." It is believed to have originated in the 15th or 16th century during the time of the Spanish exploration and colonization of the Americas.

The name Candelaria is closely associated with the Virgin of Candelaria, the patron saint of the Canary Islands. The name gained popularity in regions where the Virgin of Candelaria was venerated, such as the Canary Islands and parts of Latin America.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Candelaria can be found in the archives of the Spanish Inquisition, where a man named Juan de Candelaria was mentioned in a document from the late 16th century.

In Mexico, the name Candelaria is often associated with the town of Candelaria Loxicha in the state of Oaxaca, which was named after the Virgin of Candelaria. This town has a long history dating back to pre-Hispanic times.

Notable individuals with the surname Candelaria include:

1. Andrés de Candelaria (c. 1630-1709), a Spanish soldier and explorer who played a significant role in the colonization of Texas.
2. Fray Alonso de Candelaria (c. 1570-1640), a Spanish Franciscan friar and missionary who worked in New Spain (present-day Mexico).
3. Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz (1648-1695), a renowned Mexican nun, philosopher, and poet who was born Juana Inés de Asbaje y Ramírez de Santillana.
4. María Candelaria (1909-1976), a Mexican actress best known for her role in the 1944 film of the same name.
5. Candelaria Quintero (1768-1835), a Mexican revolutionary who fought for Mexican independence from Spain.

The surname Candelaria has also been associated with various place names throughout Latin America, such as Candelaria, a municipality in the Colombian department of Valle del Cauca, and Candelaria, a town in the Mexican state of Campeche.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Candelaria

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

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

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

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