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

Candelas, 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 Candelas surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Candelas in America

Candelas is the 25136th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Candelas surname appeared 987 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Candelas.

We can also compare 2010 data for Candelas 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 Candelas

The surname Candelas is of Spanish origin, dating back to the early medieval period. It is derived from the Spanish word "candela," meaning a candle or light. The name likely originated in areas of Spain where candlemaking or illumination played a significant role in the local economy or culture.

In the 13th century, the name Candelas appeared in records from the region of Catalonia, where it was associated with candlemakers or those involved in the production of candles or other illumination sources. The earliest known reference to the name is found in a document from the city of Barcelona, dated 1256, which mentions a certain Pedro Candelas, a candlemaker by trade.

The name Candelas also has connections to religious institutions and orders, as candles were essential for illumination and ceremonial purposes in churches and monasteries. Some records from the 15th century indicate that individuals bearing the name Candelas were employed as candle-bearers or wax-chandlers in various monasteries and cathedrals across Spain.

One notable figure in history with the surname Candelas was Juan Candelas, a Spanish soldier and explorer who participated in the conquest of the Canary Islands in the late 15th century. Born around 1460 in Seville, he was part of the expeditions led by Juan Rejón and Alonso Fernández de Lugo, which resulted in the Spanish acquisition of the Canary archipelago.

Another prominent individual was Fray Diego Candelas, a Franciscan friar and missionary who lived in the 16th century. He was among the first Catholic missionaries to travel to the New World, establishing missions and converting indigenous populations in present-day Mexico and Central America.

In the 17th century, a well-known figure with the surname Candelas was Catalina Candelas, a Spanish writer and poet from Valencia. Born in 1612, she gained recognition for her literary works and was celebrated as one of the notable female authors of her time.

The name Candelas can also be traced back to the village of Candelas in the province of Teruel, Aragon, Spain. This place name likely originated from the surname, suggesting that individuals bearing the name may have been among the earliest settlers or prominent families in the area.

Throughout history, the surname Candelas has been found in various spellings and variations, such as Candellas, Candelas, and Candelaria, reflecting regional linguistic differences and evolving naming practices over time.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Candelas

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!