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

Hernández, 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 Hernández surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Hernández in America

Hernández is the 11th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Hernández surname appeared 1,043,281 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 354 people would have the surname Hernández.

We can also compare 2010 data for Hernández 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 Hernández

The surname Hernandez is of Spanish origin, derived from the personal name Hernando, which is a Spanish form of the Germanic name Ferdinand. The name Hernandez first emerged in the medieval Iberian Peninsula, specifically in the regions of Castile and Aragon.

The surname Hernandez can be traced back to the 12th century, with early records showing variations in spelling such as Hernandez, Hernandes, and Fernandez. These variations were common due to the lack of standardized spelling conventions during that time period.

One of the earliest known references to the surname Hernandez can be found in the "Libro de la Montería" (Book of the Hunt), a 14th-century manuscript that recorded the names of prominent individuals who participated in royal hunting expeditions. The document mentions several individuals with the surname Hernandez, indicating their presence among the nobility and upper classes of medieval Spain.

During the 15th and 16th centuries, the surname Hernandez gained significant prominence as Spain expanded its influence through exploration and colonization. Many individuals bearing this surname played crucial roles in the conquest and settlement of the Americas, including Diego Hernandez de Córdoba, who led the first Spanish expedition to the Yucatán Peninsula in 1517, and Francisco Hernandez, a renowned naturalist and physician who accompanied the Spanish expeditions to Mexico in the mid-16th century.

Another notable figure was Juan Hernandez, a Spanish explorer and navigator who accompanied Christopher Columbus on his second voyage to the Americas in 1493. He later became one of the first Europeans to settle on the island of Hispaniola (modern-day Haiti and Dominican Republic).

In the realm of literature, Miguel Hernandez (1910-1942) was a celebrated Spanish poet and dramatist who is considered one of the leading voices of the Generation of '27, a group of influential poets who emerged in Spain during the early 20th century.

Other notable individuals with the surname Hernandez include Gregorio Hernandez (1564-1636), a Venezuelan colonial-era painter and sculptor, and Rafael Hernandez (1892-1965), a renowned Puerto Rican composer and musician who is regarded as the "Father of the Puerto Rican Romantic Danza."

The surname Hernandez has maintained its prominence throughout history, with individuals bearing this name making significant contributions across various fields, including exploration, literature, art, and music.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Hernández

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

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

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

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