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

Gonzalez, 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 Gonzalez surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gonzalez in America

Gonzalez is the 13th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gonzalez surname appeared 841,025 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 285 people would have the surname Gonzalez.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gonzalez 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 Gonzalez

The surname Gonzalez originated in Spain and has its roots in the Visigothic name Gundisalvus. The name is derived from the Germanic elements 'gund' meaning war, and 'salvo' meaning safety or protection. It can be translated as 'battle protection' or 'war security'.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Gonzalez can be traced back to the 9th century in the Kingdom of Asturias and Galicia. The name was popularized during the Reconquista, the period of Islamic-Christian conflict in the Iberian Peninsula between the 8th and 15th centuries.

One of the earliest notable individuals with the surname Gonzalez was Gonzalo Fernández (1238-1285), a powerful Castilian nobleman and military leader who played a crucial role in the Reconquista. He was known for his victories against the Moors and his unwavering loyalty to King Alfonso X.

Another prominent figure in Spanish history was Hernán González de Córdoba (1453-1518), a celebrated general and diplomat who served under the Catholic Monarchs, Isabella I of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon. He was instrumental in the conquest of Granada, the last Muslim stronghold in Spain.

In the realm of literature, one of the most renowned individuals with the surname Gonzalez was Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz (1648-1695), a Mexican nun, scholar, and poet whose work is considered a masterpiece of the Spanish Golden Age. Her contributions to literature and philosophy have earned her a place among the most influential figures of her time.

During the Age of Exploration, Juan González de Mendoza (1545-1617), a Spanish historian and writer, gained recognition for his work "Historia de las cosas más notables, ritos y costumbres del gran reino de la China" (History of the Most Notable Things, Rites and Customs of the Great Kingdom of China), which provided Europeans with one of the earliest comprehensive accounts of Chinese culture and society.

In the 20th century, Pedro González (1925-2006), a Mexican-American labor leader and civil rights activist, played a crucial role in the fight for farmworkers' rights. He co-founded the United Farm Workers Union alongside Cesar Chavez and dedicated his life to improving the working conditions and wages of migrant workers.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gonzalez

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

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

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

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