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

Herna, 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 Herna surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Herna in America

Herna is the 151532nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Herna surname appeared 108 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 Herna.

The history of the last name Herna

The surname HERNA has its origins in Spain, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Spanish word "herna," which means "fern" or "fern plant." This suggests that the name may have initially been a descriptive surname given to someone who lived near or worked with ferns.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name HERNA can be found in the Becerro de Behetrías, a medieval Spanish manuscript from the 14th century that documented landowners and their properties. This record mentions a certain Sancho Herna, who owned land in the region of Castile.

During the 15th century, the name HERNA appeared in various historical documents related to the Reconquista, the period when the Catholic Monarchs of Spain were engaged in the reclamation of territories from the Moors. One notable figure was Pedro Herna, a soldier who fought alongside King Ferdinand II of Aragon during the conquest of Granada in 1492.

In the 16th century, the name HERNA gained prominence in the Spanish colonies of the Americas. One of the earliest recorded examples is Juan Herna, a conquistador who accompanied Hernán Cortés in the conquest of Mexico in the 1520s.

Another notable figure with the surname HERNA was Alonso Herna, a Spanish explorer and navigator who accompanied the expedition of Vasco Núñez de Balboa in the early 16th century. He was one of the first Europeans to glimpse the Pacific Ocean from the shores of present-day Panama.

During the 17th century, the name HERNA was also found in some parts of Portugal, possibly due to the close ties between the two Iberian nations. One example is Miguel Herna, a Portuguese merchant who traded extensively with the Spanish colonies in the Americas.

As the centuries progressed, the surname HERNA continued to spread across Spain and its territories, with variations in spelling emerging, such as Hernandez, Hernando, and Hernán. Prominent individuals with this surname include Diego Herna (1884-1957), a Spanish poet and playwright, and José Herna (1903-1972), a Mexican artist known for his murals and paintings depicting indigenous Mexican culture.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Herna

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

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 Herna 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.

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

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

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