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

Gradillas, 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 Gradillas surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gradillas in America

Gradillas is the 38801st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gradillas surname appeared 569 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 Gradillas.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gradillas 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 Gradillas

The surname GRADILLAS is of Spanish origin, tracing its roots back to the 14th century. It is believed to have originated from the region of Galicia in northwestern Spain, where it was initially spelled as "Gradilla" or "Gradela".

The name GRADILLAS is likely derived from the Latin word "gradus", which means "step" or "degree". It is thought to have been initially used as a descriptive surname, referring to someone who lived near a flight of stairs or a stepped area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name GRADILLAS can be found in the "Crónica General de España" (General Chronicle of Spain), written by Alfonso X, also known as Alfonso the Wise, in the 13th century. This chronicle mentions a nobleman named Ruy Gradillas who fought alongside the King in the Reconquista, the Christian reconquest of the Iberian Peninsula from the Moors.

In the 15th century, a notable figure with the surname GRADILLAS was Pedro Gradillas, a Spanish explorer and navigator who accompanied Christopher Columbus on his second voyage to the Americas in 1493. He is mentioned in the logs and journals of Columbus, detailing his role in the exploration and settlement of the Caribbean islands.

During the 16th century, the GRADILLAS surname gained prominence in the city of Seville, where several members of the family held influential positions within the local government and the Church. One such individual was Hernán Gradillas, who served as a councilman in Seville from 1542 to 1558.

In the 17th century, a famous bearer of the GRADILLAS surname was Juan Gradillas, a Spanish painter known for his religious artwork and contributions to the Baroque style. Many of his paintings can still be found in churches and museums throughout Spain, particularly in the regions of Andalusia and Extremadura.

Another notable figure with the GRADILLAS surname was Tomás Gradillas, a 19th-century Spanish military officer and politician. He played a significant role in the Carlist Wars, a series of civil wars in Spain fought between the supporters of the absolutist Carlists and the liberal parties.

Throughout history, the GRADILLAS surname has been associated with various place names and older spellings, such as "Gradela", "Gradela de Arriba", and "Gradela de Abajo", which were small villages or towns in the Galicia region where the name originated.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gradillas

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

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

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

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