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

Heras, 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 Heras surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Heras in America

Heras is the 15889th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Heras surname appeared 1,830 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Heras.

We can also compare 2010 data for Heras 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 Heras

The surname Heras originated in the Basque region of northern Spain and southern France, likely stemming from the Basque language word "hera," meaning "ash" or "cinder." It is believed that the name was initially used as a descriptive surname for someone who lived near an ash tree, worked with ash wood, or lived in an area with an abundance of ash trees.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Heras can be found in the Codex Calixtinus, a 12th-century manuscript detailing the pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela. The manuscript mentions a place called "Villa de Heras" along the Camino de Santiago, suggesting the name's presence in the region during that period.

In the 13th century, the name Heras appeared in several historical documents from the Kingdom of Navarre, such as land grants and tax records. One notable individual was Juan de Heras, a soldier who fought in the Reconquista campaigns against the Moors in the late 13th century.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the surname Heras began to spread beyond the Basque region as people migrated to other parts of Spain and the Americas. In 1572, Pedro de Heras was among the early Spanish settlers in what is now Florida, establishing a settlement near present-day St. Augustine.

In the 18th century, the name Heras gained prominence with the birth of Francisco de Heras y Portolés (1720-1789), a Spanish naval officer and explorer who participated in the Spanish expeditions to the Pacific Northwest and Alaska. Another notable figure was Juan de Heras y Navarro (1763-1839), a Spanish military engineer and cartographer who worked on fortifications in Cuba and Puerto Rico.

The 19th century saw the rise of several influential individuals with the surname Heras. One of the most prominent was Patricio de la Heras (1801-1876), a Mexican military officer and politician who served as governor of the state of Zacatecas and played a crucial role in the Reform War against the conservative forces in Mexico.

Throughout history, the surname Heras has been associated with various professions, from military personnel and explorers to politicians and artists. While the name's origins can be traced back to the Basque region, it has since spread across different parts of the world, particularly in Spain, Mexico, and other Spanish-speaking countries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Heras

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

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

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

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