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

Cunanan, 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 Cunanan surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Cunanan in America

Cunanan is the 15995th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Cunanan surname appeared 1,815 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 Cunanan.

We can also compare 2010 data for Cunanan 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 Cunanan

The surname CUNANAN is believed to have originated in the Philippines. Its origins can be traced back to the 16th century, when Spanish colonizers arrived in the archipelago. The name is thought to have derived from the Spanish word "cuñado," meaning brother-in-law, or from the word "cuña," meaning wedge or chisel.

During the Spanish colonial period, it was common practice for Filipino families to adopt Spanish surnames as a way of assimilating into the dominant culture. The name CUNANAN may have been given to a family or individual who had a close relationship with a brother-in-law or who worked as a wedge-maker or woodcarver.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname CUNANAN can be found in the 1848 Catalogo Alfabetico de Apellidos, a census-like document compiled by the Spanish colonial government in the Philippines. This document listed many Filipino families and their adopted Spanish surnames.

In the late 19th century, a notable figure named Isidro CUNANAN (1848-1919) was a prominent member of the Philippine Revolution against Spanish rule. He served as a general in the revolutionary forces and later held political office under the First Philippine Republic.

Another historical figure with the surname CUNANAN was Filemon CUNANAN (1892-1976), a Filipino lawyer and politician who served as a member of the Philippine House of Representatives and the Philippine Senate in the mid-20th century.

In the field of literature, the name CUNANAN is associated with the Filipino writer and academic, Jose Maria CUNANAN (1901-1983), who authored several books on Philippine history and culture.

Outside of the Philippines, one of the most famous individuals with the surname CUNANAN was Andrew CUNANAN (1969-1997), an American serial killer who gained notoriety for his cross-country murder spree in 1997, which included the killing of fashion designer Gianni Versace.

Another notable bearer of the name was the American artist and sculptor, Cesar CUNANAN (1916-1992), who was known for his abstract and modernist works and was a prominent figure in the New York art scene in the mid-20th century.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Cunanan

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

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

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

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