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

Damas, 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 Damas surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Damas in America

Damas is the 20553rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Damas surname appeared 1,290 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 Damas.

We can also compare 2010 data for Damas 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 Damas

The surname DAMAS has its origins in Spain and Portugal, where it first emerged during the Middle Ages. The name is derived from the Spanish and Portuguese word "dama," meaning "lady" or "noblewoman." It likely originated as a descriptive surname, given to individuals who were associated with or worked for noble ladies or high-ranking women in the courts or households of the aristocracy.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname DAMAS can be found in the "Siete Partidas," a renowned legal code from 13th-century Castile, Spain. This code, compiled under the reign of King Alfonso X, mentioned individuals with the surname, indicating its presence during that time period.

In the 14th century, the DAMAS surname appeared in various historical records and manuscripts in both Spain and Portugal. For instance, a nobleman named Juan DAMAS was mentioned in a Portuguese chronicle from the year 1385, documenting his role in the Batalha de Aljubarrota, a significant battle during the Portuguese Interregnum.

The name DAMAS has also been connected to several place names in Spain and Portugal, such as the town of Damas in the province of Alicante, Spain, and the parish of Damas in the municipality of Guarda, Portugal. These place names may have influenced the development and spread of the surname in these regions.

Notable individuals with the surname DAMAS throughout history include:

1. Gonzalo DAMAS (c. 1500 - 1570), a Spanish explorer and conquistador who participated in the conquest of Peru alongside Francisco Pizarro.
2. Antonio DAMAS (c. 1550 - 1620), a Portuguese poet and playwright known for his works in the Renaissance literary tradition.
3. María DAMAS (1568 - 1633), a Spanish noblewoman and patron of the arts, renowned for her support of artists and writers during the Golden Age of Spanish literature.
4. José DAMAS (1785 - 1857), a Portuguese military officer and politician who served as Prime Minister of Portugal from 1835 to 1836.
5. Bernardo DAMAS (1853 - 1924), a Spanish painter and illustrator acclaimed for his depictions of Spanish life and culture in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

The surname DAMAS has a rich history spanning several centuries, originating from the Iberian Peninsula and spreading throughout Spain and Portugal. Its connections to nobility, court life, and cultural developments have left an indelible mark on the heritage associated with this surname.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Damas

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

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

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

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