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 56444th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Hernández surname appeared 362 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.

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 HERNANDZ originated in Spain during the medieval period. It is a patronymic name, derived from the personal name Hernando, which was a Spanish form of Ferdinand. The name HERNANDZ likely emerged as a way to distinguish different branches of a family or to indicate one's lineage.

The earliest recorded instances of the name HERNANDZ can be found in various historical documents from the 13th and 14th centuries in Spain. One notable example is the mention of a certain Pedro HERNANDZ in the Siete Partidas, a legal code compiled in the 13th century during the reign of Alfonso X of Castile.

During the Age of Exploration and the Spanish colonization of the Americas, many individuals bearing the surname HERNANDZ played significant roles. One such figure was Juan HERNANDZ, a Spanish explorer who accompanied Hernán Cortés in the conquest of Mexico in the early 16th century.

In the realm of literature, the name HERNANDZ is associated with Miguel HERNANDZ, a renowned Spanish poet and playwright of the 20th century. Born in 1910 in Orihuela, Spain, HERNANDZ's works, including "Viento del Pueblo" and "El Hombre Acecha," solidified his place as a prominent voice in Spanish poetry.

Another notable individual was Diego HERNANDZ, a Spanish conquistador who participated in the conquest of Peru alongside Francisco Pizarro in the 16th century. HERNANDZ's exploits were documented in various chronicles and accounts of the time.

In the field of art, the name HERNANDZ is linked to José HERNANDZ, a Spanish painter and engraver from the 17th century. Born in Madrid in 1632, HERNANDZ's works, including religious paintings and portraits, adorned churches and private collections across Spain.

The surname HERNANDZ has also been carried by individuals in various other fields, such as science, politics, and athletics, further contributing to its rich history and cultural significance.

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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