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

Gardas, 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 Gardas surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gardas in America

Gardas is the 129047th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gardas surname appeared 132 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 Gardas.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gardas 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 Gardas

The surname Gardas has its origins in the Iberian Peninsula, specifically in the regions of Portugal and Spain. It is believed to have emerged during the medieval period, around the 11th or 12th century. The name Gardas is thought to be derived from the Spanish word "guarda," which means "guard" or "watchman," or the Portuguese word "guarda," meaning the same.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Gardas can be traced back to various historical documents from the region. In Portugal, the name appears in records dating back to the 13th century, such as the "Livro das Lezírias" (Book of the Marshlands), where it is mentioned in reference to individuals involved in the protection of the royal marshlands.

In Spain, the name Gardas can be found in documents from the 14th century, particularly in regions like Castile and Aragon. One notable reference is in the "Libro de la Montería" (Book of the Hunt), a hunting treatise commissioned by King Alfonso XI in the mid-14th century, which mentions individuals with the surname Gardas among the hunting party.

The name Gardas is also associated with various place names in the Iberian Peninsula. For instance, there is a small village called Gardas in the municipality of Penafiel, in northern Portugal, which may have contributed to the surname's origin or popularization in that region.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Gardas. One example is João Gardas, a Portuguese military commander who served during the Reconquista (Reconquest) in the 13th century and was instrumental in the capture of Faro from the Moors in 1249.

Another prominent figure was Diego Gardas, a Spanish nobleman and military leader who fought in the Reconquista campaigns during the 14th century. He is mentioned in chronicles for his role in the conquest of Algeciras in 1344.

In the 15th century, there was Pedro Gardas, a Portuguese explorer and navigator who accompanied Vasco da Gama on his historic voyage to India in 1497-1499.

During the 16th century, Luis Gardas was a renowned Spanish composer and musician who served at the court of King Philip II. His works, including masses and motets, were highly regarded in his time.

In the 17th century, Manuel Gardas was a Portuguese architect and engineer who contributed to the construction of several notable buildings and fortifications in Portugal and its colonies, including the Fort of São Tiago in Funchal, Madeira.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gardas

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

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

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

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