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.
A Spanish surname derived from the given name Gonzalo, meaning "battle" or "war".
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 2000 census data.
González is the 143847th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.
The González surname appeared 106 times in the 2000 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname González.
The surname Gonzalex is of Spanish origin and is considered a variant of the more commonly known surname Gonzalez. The name finds its roots in the Iberian Peninsula, specifically in the regions that now comprise modern-day Spain. Etymologically, Gonzalex derives from the Visigothic personal name Gundisalvus, which means "war elf" or "battle genius." The Visigothic influence shaped many surnames in Spain, reflecting the nomenclature of Germanic tribes that settled in the area during the early medieval period.
The earliest references to the name Gonzalez, from which Gonzalex is derived, appear in medieval documents dating back to the 10th century in the Kingdom of León. The name was typically spelled as Gundisalvus in Latin documents of the period. As the Castilian language evolved, the spelling and pronunciation of the name underwent changes, eventually yielding variations such as Gonzalez and Gonzalex. Notable historical manuscripts, like the Cartularies of Valpuesta dating back to the late 9th and early 10th centuries, contain references to individuals bearing the name Gonzalez.
The earliest recorded examples of the surname in its variant form Gonzalex are harder to pinpoint precisely. However, it is known that surnames underwent numerous phonetic and orthographic alterations over centuries, especially as they were transcribed by different scribes in various locales. Some regions, particularly in northern and northwestern Spain, might have preserved unique local orthographies like Gonzalex.
Throughout history, several individuals of note bore the surname Gonzalez, reflecting the surname's cultural and historical significance. One prominent figure was El Cid, or Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar (1043-1099), who was also known as Ruy Diaz de Gonzalez, a famous Castilian nobleman and military leader. Another notable figure includes Gonzalo Fernandez de Cordoba (1453-1515), also known as El Gran Capitán, a prominent military leader in the Spanish Reconquista and Italian Wars.
Although the spelling Gonzalex was less common, it appeared sporadically, particularly in family records and regional documents. Surnames, especially before the standardization of spelling, exhibited considerable variations even within the same family lineage. For example, Sebastian Gonzalex de Paredes was a notable Spanish painter from the 17th century, reflecting this variety in surname usage.
Other notable historical figures include Diego Gonzalez Holguin (1560-1620), a Spanish Jesuit priest and linguist notable for his work in Peru, and José González Rubio (1804-1875), a Spanish Franciscan friar who played a significant role in the early history of California. Each of these figures illustrates the reach and influence of the Gonzalez lineage, and by extension, its variants like Gonzalex.
Understanding the surname Gonzalex thus requires acknowledging its roots in the historical and linguistic evolution of Iberian Peninsular surnames, its Visigothic origins, and the notable individuals who have borne the name or its variants through history. Each part of its history reflects broader trends in Spanish onomatology and socio-cultural shifts over centuries.
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:
For the most recent 2000 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for González was:
| Race/Ethnicity | Percentage | Total Occurrences |
|---|---|---|
| Non-Hispanic White Only | (S)% | (S) |
| Non-Hispanic Black Only | (S)% | (S) |
| Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only | (S)% | (S) |
| Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.00% | 0 |
| Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races | 0.00% | 0 |
| Hispanic Origin | 95.28% | 101 |
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.
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.
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