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

Compean, 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 Compean surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Compean in America

Compean is the 13271st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Compean surname appeared 2,298 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Compean.

We can also compare 2010 data for Compean 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 Compean

The surname Compean has its origins in Spain, dating back to the 11th century. It is derived from the Spanish word "compaño," which means companion or fellow traveler. This suggests that the name may have been given to individuals who traveled together or were part of a group or fellowship.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Compean can be found in the Libro de Repartimiento de Sevilla, a document from the 13th century that recorded the distribution of land and property in the region of Seville after the Christian conquest of the city in 1248. This document mentions individuals with the surname Compean, indicating that the name was already in use at that time.

During the 15th century, the Compean surname appeared in various historical records in the regions of Andalusia and Extremadura in southern Spain. Some of these records include references to individuals with the name Compean who held positions of importance or were involved in notable events.

One such individual was Juan Compean, a military commander who served under the Catholic Monarchs during the Reconquista, the period of Christian conquest of the Iberian Peninsula from the Moors. He was known for his bravery and leadership in several battles against the Moors, including the capture of Granada in 1492.

In the 16th century, the Compean surname spread beyond Spain as Spanish colonization and exploration expanded to the Americas. Records from this time period show individuals with the name Compean settling in various parts of Latin America, including Mexico and Peru.

One notable figure from this era was Pedro Compean, a Spanish conquistador who accompanied Hernán Cortés on his expedition to conquer the Aztec Empire in present-day Mexico. Compean played a crucial role in the conquest of Tenochtitlan, the capital of the Aztec Empire, in 1521.

Another individual of historical significance was María Compean, a nun who lived in the 17th century and was known for her work in establishing schools and educational institutions for underprivileged children in Spain. She was recognized for her dedication to education and her efforts to improve the lives of those in need.

During the 18th century, the Compean surname appeared in various regions of Spain and its colonies, with some individuals holding positions of importance within the Spanish Empire. One such individual was Antonio Compean, a colonial administrator who served as the governor of the province of Panama in the late 1700s.

As the centuries passed, the Compean surname continued to be found in various parts of the world, with individuals bearing the name making contributions in various fields, including politics, literature, and the arts.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Compean

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

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

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

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