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

Cervantes, 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 Cervantes surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Cervantes in America

Cervantes is the 123796th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Cervantes surname appeared 139 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 Cervantes.

We can also compare 2010 data for Cervantes 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 Cervantes

The surname Cerventes is of Spanish origin, tracing its roots back to the 14th century. It is believed to have originated from the Spanish word "cervato," meaning "young deer." This suggests that the name may have referred to someone who hunted or worked with deer.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Cerventes can be found in the archives of the city of Seville, Spain, dating back to the late 1300s. These records indicate that a family with the surname Cerventes resided in the city during that time.

In the 15th century, the name Cerventes appears in several historical documents from the region of Andalusia, in southern Spain. This includes tax records and property deeds, indicating that the name was well-established in that area.

A notable bearer of the Cerventes surname was Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, the renowned Spanish novelist, poet, and playwright. Born in 1547 in Alcalá de Henares, he is best known for his masterpiece, Don Quixote. Cervantes lived during the Spanish Golden Age and is considered one of the greatest writers in the Spanish language.

Another notable figure with the Cerventes surname was Juan de Cervantes, a Spanish conquistador and explorer who accompanied Hernán Cortés in the conquest of Mexico in the early 16th century. Juan de Cervantes played a significant role in several battles and expeditions during this period.

In the 17th century, the Cerventes surname appeared in records from the city of Seville, where a family by the name of Cerventes y Salazar held prominent positions in the local government and was involved in trade and commerce.

During the 18th century, the Cerventes name spread beyond Spain to other parts of the Spanish Empire, including the Americas. Records show that families with the surname Cerventes settled in various regions, such as Mexico, Peru, and Cuba.

Another noteworthy individual with the Cerventes surname was Francisco Javier Cervantes, a Mexican politician and revolutionary who played a role in the Mexican War of Independence in the early 19th century.

Throughout the centuries, the Cerventes surname has been associated with various professions, including writers, artists, military personnel, and politicians. While the name has maintained its Spanish roots, it has also been adopted and adapted in other Spanish-speaking regions and countries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Cervantes

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

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

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

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