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

Fernandes, 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 Fernandes surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Fernandes in America

Fernandes is the 2007th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Fernandes surname appeared 18,018 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 6 people would have the surname Fernandes.

We can also compare 2010 data for Fernandes 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 Fernandes

The surname Fernandes originated in Portugal and Spain, deriving from the given name Fernando, which itself comes from the Germanic name Ferdinand. This name is composed of the elements fridu, meaning "peace," and nanth, meaning "daring" or "brave." The surname Fernandes emerged as a patronymic, indicating "son of Fernando."

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Fernandes can be traced back to the 12th century in Portugal and Spain. This period coincided with the Reconquista, the Christian reconquest of the Iberian Peninsula from the Moors. During this time, many surnames emerged as a way to identify individuals and establish family lineages.

One of the earliest known bearers of the surname Fernandes was Martim Fernandes, a Portuguese explorer who, in 1445, captained one of the first European expeditions to reach the Gulf of Guinea in West Africa. Another notable figure was João Fernandes, a Portuguese navigator who is credited with discovering the Madeira Islands in 1419 or 1420.

In the 15th and 16th centuries, as the Portuguese Empire expanded across the globe, the surname Fernandes was carried by explorers, settlers, and colonists to various parts of the world. For instance, Duarte Fernandes, born around 1480, was a Portuguese explorer and author who accompanied the first Portuguese expedition to India in 1505.

The surname Fernandes also has a rich history in Spain. One notable bearer was Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba (1453-1515), a Spanish military leader known as "El Gran Capitán" (The Great Captain), renowned for his victories in the Italian Wars during the reign of Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile.

Another prominent figure was Álvaro Fernández de Córdoba y Figueroa (1610-1685), a Spanish nobleman and military leader who served as the Viceroy of Navarre and later as the Governor of the Duchy of Milan.

In the realm of literature and arts, Fernandes has produced several notable figures, such as Tomás Fernandes (1563-1628), a Portuguese Jesuit priest and writer who authored works on the history and culture of India, and António Fernandes (1570-1642), a Portuguese painter known for his religious artworks.

As the surname Fernandes spread across the globe, it underwent various spelling variations and adaptations, reflecting the influences of different languages and cultures. Some of these variations include Fernandez, Hernandez, and Ferrandiz, among others.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Fernandes

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

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

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

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