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

Cayas, 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 Cayas surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Cayas in America

Cayas is the 136449th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Cayas surname appeared 123 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 Cayas.

The history of the last name Cayas

The surname Cayas has its origins in Spain, dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Spanish word "caya," which means "bay" or "inlet," suggesting that the name may have been initially given to someone who lived near a bay or coastal area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Cayas can be found in the Libro de Repartimiento de Sevilla, a medieval document that recorded the distribution of land and properties in the city of Seville after its conquest by the Christian forces in 1248. This document mentions a person named Juan Cayas, who was granted land in the region.

In the 14th century, the name Cayas appeared in several historical records, such as the Libro de las Behetrías de Castilla, which documented the rights and privileges of certain towns and villages in the region of Castile. This document mentions a place called "Cayas" in the province of Burgos, further reinforcing the connection between the surname and geographic locations.

One notable person with the surname Cayas was Diego Cayas, a Spanish explorer and navigator who lived in the 16th century. He accompanied Hernán Cortés on his expedition to Mexico and played a significant role in the conquest of the Aztec Empire.

Another person of historical importance was Juana Cayas, a Spanish noblewoman who lived in the 15th century. She was a prominent figure in the court of Isabella I of Castile and served as a lady-in-waiting to the queen.

In the 17th century, the name Cayas was particularly prevalent in the region of Andalusia, southern Spain. One prominent individual from this time was Rodrigo Cayas, a renowned architect who was responsible for the design and construction of several churches and public buildings in the city of Seville.

During the 18th century, the Cayas family had a strong presence in the Spanish colonial territories of the Americas. Juan Cayas, born in 1712 in Seville, emigrated to New Spain (present-day Mexico) and became a successful landowner and rancher in the region of Nuevo León.

The surname Cayas has also been found in various historical documents and records from other Spanish-speaking countries, such as Mexico, Colombia, and Argentina, suggesting that the name has spread across different regions over time.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Cayas

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

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 Cayas 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.

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

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

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