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

Espinel, 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 Espinel surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Espinel in America

Espinel is the 44872nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Espinel surname appeared 478 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 Espinel.

We can also compare 2010 data for Espinel 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 Espinel

The surname Espinel has its origins in Spain, where it first appeared in the medieval era. It is believed to be derived from the Spanish word "espino," which means "hawthorn" or "thorny bush." This suggests that the name may have originated as a descriptive surname, referring to someone who lived near or worked with hawthorn bushes.

In the early historical records, the name Espinel appears with various spellings, such as Espino, Espinell, and Espiniel. One of the earliest documented references to the name can be found in the Libro de la Montería, a 14th-century hunting treatise commissioned by King Alfonso XI of Castile. This text mentions a location called "Espinel" in the province of Soria, which could have been the source of the surname.

One of the most notable individuals bearing the surname Espinel was Vicente Espinel, a Spanish novelist, poet, and musician who lived from 1550 to 1624. He is best known for his novel "Vida del escudero Marcos de Obregón" and for popularizing the poetic form known as "décimas" or "espinelas." This poetic form, named after him, consists of ten-line stanzas with a specific rhyme scheme.

Another prominent figure with the surname Espinel was José María Espinel y García, a Spanish politician and military officer who lived from 1816 to 1898. He served as a senator and was actively involved in the political and military affairs of Spain during the 19th century.

In the realm of art, Juan Bautista Espinel (1599-1642) was a notable Spanish painter during the Baroque period. He is known for his religious paintings and works depicting scenes from everyday life.

Moving to the Americas, Juan Espinel Rivero (1845-1905) was a Venezuelan poet and journalist who made significant contributions to the literary landscape of his country. His works included poetry collections and articles published in various newspapers and magazines.

Additionally, Narciso Espinel Salinas (1905-1997) was a Chilean politician and lawyer who served as the Minister of Economy and Finance during the presidency of Eduardo Frei Montalva in the 1960s.

These are just a few examples of notable individuals who carried the surname Espinel throughout history, reflecting its Spanish roots and the diverse fields in which bearers of this name have made their mark.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Espinel

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

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

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

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