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 83541st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Hernández surname appeared 225 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 Hernández.

The history of the last name Hernández

The surname HERNANDEZR has its origins in Spain, dating back to the 12th century. It is a patronymic name derived from the given name Hernandez, which in turn comes from the Germanic name Ferdinand, meaning "brave traveler."

The earliest recorded instances of the name HERNANDEZR can be found in various medieval documents from the regions of Castile and Andalusia. These include land grants, tax records, and other official registries.

One notable historical reference to the name HERNANDEZR is in the "Poema de Mio Cid," a 12th-century epic poem that tells the story of the Castilian hero El Cid. The poem mentions a character named Hernandez, suggesting the name's prevalence in that era.

As the Spanish Empire expanded in the 15th and 16th centuries, the name HERNANDEZR spread throughout the Americas, particularly in Mexico and other parts of Latin America, where it became one of the most common surnames.

Among the notable individuals with the surname HERNANDEZR throughout history are:

1. Hernando Cortés (1485-1547), the Spanish conquistador who led the expedition that caused the fall of the Aztec Empire and brought large portions of mainland Mexico under Spanish rule.

2. Juan del Hernandez Velázquez (1510-1564), a Spanish conquistador and the first governor of Nueva Galicia (now parts of western Mexico).

3. Gonzalo Hernández de Oviedo y Valdés (1478-1557), a Spanish historian and author who wrote extensively about the early Spanish settlements in the Americas.

4. Juan Hernandez de Palacio (1508-1589), a Spanish navigator and cartographer who accompanied Hernando Cortés on his expeditions to Mexico.

5. José Hernández (1834-1886), an Argentine poet and journalist best known for his epic poem "Martín Fierro," which is considered a classic of Argentine literature.

These are just a few examples of individuals who have carried the surname HERNANDEZR throughout history, reflecting its deep roots in Spanish and Latin American culture, as well as its widespread presence across various professions and accomplishments.

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.

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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