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

Casique, 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 Casique surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Casique in America

Casique is the 28176th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Casique surname appeared 849 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 Casique.

We can also compare 2010 data for Casique 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 Casique

The surname Casique originates from the Spanish language and has its roots in the Caribbean region, particularly in the territories that were once under Spanish colonial rule. The name can be traced back to the early 16th century, when the Spanish conquistadors first encountered the indigenous Taíno people who inhabited the islands of the Greater Antilles.

The Taíno term "casique" referred to the leaders or chiefs of the native communities. It is believed that the Spanish settlers adopted this term and used it to identify or refer to those indigenous individuals who held positions of authority or leadership within their respective tribes or villages. Over time, the word "casique" evolved into a surname, likely given to the descendants of these indigenous leaders or those who were closely associated with them.

While there are no known historical references to the name Casique in prominent manuscripts or records from the Old World, it is well-documented in various colonial-era documents and accounts related to the Spanish conquest and colonization of the Caribbean islands. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Casique can be found in the writings of Bartolomé de las Casas, a Spanish Dominican friar and historian who extensively documented the treatment of indigenous populations in the West Indies during the 16th century.

Among the notable individuals who bore the surname Casique, the following stand out: Juan Casique (c. 1490-1555), a Taíno chief who played a significant role in the early years of Spanish colonization in Puerto Rico; Diego Casique (c. 1520-1585), a Taíno leader from Hispaniola who led a rebellion against Spanish rule; and María Casique (c. 1550-1610), a Taíno woman from Cuba who became a respected interpreter and intermediary between the Spanish and the indigenous populations.

Additionally, there are records of Juan Bautista Casique (c. 1575-1645), a prominent landowner and cattle rancher in Puerto Rico during the 17th century, and Andrés Casique (c. 1620-1690), a Taíno leader from Jamaica who played a crucial role in the resistance against British colonization of the island.

It is important to note that the surname Casique is deeply rooted in the history and cultural heritage of the Caribbean region, particularly in areas that were once under Spanish colonial rule. Its origins can be traced back to the indigenous Taíno people and their interactions with the Spanish conquistadors and settlers during the early years of colonization.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Casique

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

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

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

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