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

González, 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 González surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of González in America

González is the 159712th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The González surname appeared 101 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 González.

We can also compare 2010 data for González 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 González

The surname Ganzalez has its origins in the Iberian Peninsula, specifically in the regions of Spain and Portugal. It is derived from the Spanish and Portuguese rendition of the ancient Roman name "Gundisalvus," which itself is a combination of the Germanic elements "gund" (battle) and "salvo" (safe). This name was widely adopted during the era of the Visigothic Kingdom, which ruled over much of the Iberian Peninsula from the 5th to the 8th centuries.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Ganzalez can be found in the "Codex Calixtinus," a 12th-century manuscript detailing the pilgrimage routes to Santiago de Compostela. The document mentions a nobleman named Rodrigo Ganzalez, who played a significant role in the repopulation of the city of Avila in the aftermath of the Reconquista.

In the 13th century, the name Ganzalez was closely associated with the noble House of Lara, one of the most powerful families in the Kingdom of Castile. A notable member of this lineage was Don Nuño Ganzalez de Lara (1286-1345), a prominent military leader who fought in the campaigns against the Moorish Kingdom of Granada.

Another historical figure bearing the Ganzalez name was Hernán González de Ávila (1480-1534), a Spanish conquistador who participated in the conquest of Mexico alongside Hernán Cortés. González de Ávila is credited with being one of the first Europeans to encounter and document the indigenous cultures of Mesoamerica.

In the realm of literature, one cannot overlook the influence of the Spanish poet and dramatist Félix Lope de Vega Ganzalez (1562-1635), widely regarded as one of the most prolific and influential writers of the Spanish Golden Age.

The name Ganzalez also has a rich history in Latin America, where it was carried by many Spanish and Portuguese settlers during the colonial era. One notable figure was José Joaquín Ganzalez (1768-1838), a Venezuelan military leader and statesman who played a significant role in the region's struggle for independence from Spain.

Throughout its long and storied history, the surname Ganzalez has been associated with various places and regions, including the Spanish cities of Ávila, Lara, and Vega, as well as numerous towns and villages across the Iberian Peninsula and Latin America. Its enduring presence serves as a testament to the cultural and historical ties that bind these regions together.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name González

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

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

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

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