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 129825th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The González surname appeared 131 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 Gonzaez has its origins in Spain, dating back to the medieval era. It is derived from the personal name Gonzalo, which itself is a Spanish form of the Gothic name Gundisalvus. This name is believed to be composed of the elements "gund" meaning "battle" and "salv" meaning "protection" or "security."

The Gonzaez surname first emerged in the northern regions of Spain, particularly in the regions of Castile and León. It is closely associated with the noble families and landed gentry of these areas during the medieval period. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Becerro de las Behetrías, a historical document from the 14th century that lists landowners and their properties.

In the 11th century, a nobleman named Gonzalo Núñez de Lara played a significant role in the Reconquista, the Christian reconquest of the Iberian Peninsula from the Moors. He was a prominent military leader and served as the Count of Lara and Castile during the reign of King Alfonso VI of León and Castile.

Another notable figure was Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba (1453-1515), a renowned Spanish military commander known as "El Gran Capitán" (The Great Captain). He was celebrated for his victories against the French in the Italian Wars and is considered one of the greatest military strategists of his time.

During the Age of Exploration, Gonzalo Pizarro (c. 1510-1548) was a Spanish conquistador and the younger half-brother of Francisco Pizarro, the conqueror of the Inca Empire. Gonzalo led expeditions into the Amazon basin and was involved in the Spanish conquest of Peru.

In the realm of literature, Gonzalo Fernández de Oviedo (1478-1557) was a Spanish historian and writer known for his detailed accounts of the early Spanish explorations and colonization efforts in the Americas. His work, "Historia General y Natural de las Indias," is considered a valuable primary source for understanding the early colonial period in the Americas.

As the Spanish Empire expanded, the Gonzaez surname spread to other parts of the world, including Latin America and the Philippines, where it remains a common surname today. While the spelling may have varied slightly over time, the core of the name and its Spanish origins have endured through the centuries.

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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