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

Hernandez, 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 Hernandez surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Hernandez in America

Hernandez is the 142108th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Hernandez surname appeared 117 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 Hernandez.

The history of the last name Hernandez

The surname Hernandezs has its origins in Spain, tracing back to the early medieval period. It is a patronymic name, derived from the personal name Hernando, which is a Spanish form of the Germanic name Ferdinand, meaning "brave traveler" or "daring journey." The name was particularly prevalent in the regions of Castile and Andalusia.

During the Reconquista, the period when Christian kingdoms gradually regained control of the Iberian Peninsula from the Moors, many soldiers and nobles bore the name Hernandezs. Records from this era, such as the Cantar de Mio Cid, an epic poem from the 12th century, mention individuals with this surname.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Hernandezs surname can be found in the Libro de la Montería, a 14th-century manuscript detailing hunting practices during the reign of King Alfonso XI. The text mentions a certain Diego Hernandez, a royal huntsman.

In the 15th century, the name gained prominence when Hernando Cortés, a Spanish conquistador, led the conquest of the Aztec Empire in what is now Mexico. Born in 1485 in Medellín, Spain, Cortés played a pivotal role in the colonization of the Americas.

Another notable figure was Juan Hernandez, a 16th-century Spanish physician and botanist, who accompanied Cortés on his expeditions to the New World. He was one of the first Europeans to study the medicinal properties of plants native to the Americas.

In the realm of literature, Francisco Hernandez de Cordoba, a 17th-century Spanish playwright and poet, left a lasting impact on the Golden Age of Spanish literature with his works such as "The Garden of Pomona" and "The Labyrinth of Love."

During the 18th century, José Hernandez, a Spanish naval officer and explorer, made significant contributions to the mapping of the Pacific Ocean and the exploration of the west coast of North America.

In more recent times, the Hernandezs name has been carried by individuals such as Fermin Hernandez, a 19th-century Cuban revolutionary who fought for independence from Spain, and Rafael Hernandez Colón, a 20th-century Puerto Rican politician and former governor of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Hernandez

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

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

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

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