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

Fresquez, 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 Fresquez surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Fresquez in America

Fresquez is the 14492nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Fresquez surname appeared 2,059 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 Fresquez.

We can also compare 2010 data for Fresquez 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 Fresquez

The surname Fresquez originated in Spain during the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Spanish word "fresco," meaning fresh or cool, which may have been used as a descriptive nickname or a reference to a place name. The earliest known spelling of the name was "Fresques."

In the 16th century, records show the name appearing in various parts of Spain, particularly in the regions of Aragon and Andalusia. The Fresquez family likely had ties to agriculture or the cultivation of fruits and vegetables, as the name's association with the word "fresco" suggests.

One of the earliest documented references to the name Fresquez can be found in the Catalan Capbreu, a medieval census record from the 14th century, which listed several individuals with variations of the name, such as "Fresquet" and "Fresqueta."

During the Spanish colonization of the Americas in the 16th and 17th centuries, many Spaniards with the surname Fresquez migrated to the New World, particularly to regions like New Spain (modern-day Mexico) and the Spanish East Indies. Some of the earliest known Fresquez settlers in the Americas include Juan Fresquez, who arrived in New Spain in 1567, and Pedro Fresquez, who settled in Peru in 1592.

Notable individuals with the surname Fresquez throughout history include:

1. Miguel Fresquez (1615-1687), a Spanish explorer and navigator who led several expeditions to the Pacific Northwest.
2. Catalina Fresquez (1712-1792), a renowned healer and midwife in colonial New Mexico.
3. José Fresquez (1785-1843), a Spanish military officer who fought in the Peninsular War against Napoleonic forces.
4. Mariano Fresquez (1820-1898), a prominent rancher and landowner in California during the 19th century.
5. Elena Fresquez (1867-1935), a celebrated painter and illustrator known for her depictions of rural life in Spain.

As the Fresquez name spread across the Spanish-speaking world, variations in spelling emerged, such as Fresque, Fresqui, and Fresquillo. Additionally, the name became associated with certain place names, like Fresqueira in Portugal and Fresquera in Spain, which may have further influenced its development and regional variations.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Fresquez

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

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

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

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