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

Encarnación, 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 Encarnación surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Encarnación in America

Encarnación is the 4909th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Encarnación surname appeared 7,171 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Encarnación.

We can also compare 2010 data for Encarnación 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 Encarnación

The surname Encarnacion originated in Spain during the medieval period. It is derived from the Spanish word "encarnación," which means "incarnation," referring to the Christian belief in the incarnation of Jesus Christ. This suggests that the name may have been initially adopted by individuals closely associated with religious institutions or those who held strong religious beliefs.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Encarnacion can be traced back to the 13th and 14th centuries in various regions of Spain, such as Andalusia, Castile, and Aragon. It is believed that the name may have been given to individuals born around the time of Christmas or the Feast of the Incarnation, which is celebrated on March 25th.

One of the earliest known bearers of the Encarnacion surname was Pedro de la Encarnacion, a Spanish friar who lived in the 16th century. He was renowned for his religious writings and his work in the Catholic Church.

In the 17th century, the name appears in various historical records, including the baptismal records of the Cathedral of Seville, where several individuals with the surname Encarnacion were recorded.

During the 18th century, the Encarnacion name gained prominence in Spanish colonial territories, particularly in the Americas. Notable individuals with this surname include:

1. Fray José de la Encarnación (1665-1734), a Spanish missionary and explorer who traveled extensively in Mexico and the southwestern United States.
2. María de la Encarnación (1732-1803), a Spanish nun and mystic who founded the Order of the Incarnate Word and Blessed Sacrament.

As the Spanish empire expanded, the Encarnacion surname spread to various regions of the Americas, particularly Mexico, Central America, and parts of South America.

In the 19th century, several individuals with the Encarnacion surname gained recognition in various fields:

1. Manuel de la Encarnación (1804-1878), a Mexican painter and sculptor known for his religious works.
2. Juana de la Encarnación (1825-1892), a Peruvian poet and educator who contributed to the literary movement of her time.
3. Emilio de la Encarnación (1847-1905), a Cuban writer and journalist who played a role in the fight for Cuban independence.

Throughout the 20th century, the Encarnacion surname continued to be prominent, with individuals making contributions in various fields, such as politics, arts, and academia.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Encarnación

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!