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

Herrera, 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 Herrera surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Herrera in America

Herrera is the 129th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Herrera surname appeared 192,711 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 65 people would have the surname Herrera.

We can also compare 2010 data for Herrera 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 Herrera

The surname Herrera has its origins in Spain, with the earliest recorded instances dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Spanish word "herrero," which means "blacksmith" or "ironsmith." This suggests that the surname was initially given to those who worked in the trade of smithing or metallurgy.

The name first appeared in various regions of Spain, particularly in areas such as Castile, Aragon, and Andalusia, where the production of iron and metalwork was prevalent. As the name spread across the Iberian Peninsula and beyond, it underwent minor spelling variations, including Ferrera and Ferreiro, reflecting regional linguistic differences.

One of the earliest known references to the Herrera surname can be found in the "Libro de las Behetrías," a medieval manuscript compiled in the late 14th century, which documented landowners and their properties in the regions of Castile and León.

In the 15th century, a prominent figure bearing the Herrera surname was Enrique de Herrera, a renowned Spanish architect and sculptor who played a significant role in the construction of the Granada Cathedral and the Monastery of San Jerónimo in Granada.

During the 16th century, Juan de Herrera (1530-1597) was a notable Spanish Renaissance architect and mathematician. He served as the royal architect to King Philip II of Spain and was responsible for the design of several important buildings, including the Monastery of El Escorial, which is considered one of the most important architectural works of the Spanish Renaissance.

In the 17th century, José de Herrera (1619-1682) was a Spanish historian and military writer. He authored several influential works, including "Historia General del Mundo," a comprehensive history of the world from ancient times to the 17th century.

Another notable figure with the Herrera surname was José Joaquín de Herrera (1792-1854), a Mexican politician and military officer who served as the President of Mexico from 1845 to 1851. He played a crucial role in the Mexican-American War and the reforms that followed.

Francisco de Herrera "El Viejo" (1576-1656) was a prominent Spanish Golden Age painter, known for his religious and mythological works. He was a leading figure in the Sevillan school of painting and is considered one of the most influential artists of the Baroque period in Spain.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Herrera

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

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

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

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