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 110825th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Hernández surname appeared 159 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 Herrnandez originated in Spain during the medieval period. It is derived from the Spanish word "hernandez," which means "son of Hernando" or "son of Fernando." The name Fernando, in turn, is derived from the Germanic name "Ferdinandu," which means "brave traveler."

Herrnandez is a patronymic surname, meaning it was originally formed by adding the suffix "-ez" to the given name of the father. This naming convention was common in Spain and other parts of the Iberian Peninsula during the Middle Ages.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Herrnandez can be found in the Cartulario de Valpuesta, a collection of medieval documents from the Monastery of Valpuesta in Burgos, Spain. The document, dated around 1100 CE, mentions a person named "Fernandus Hernandez."

In the 13th century, a nobleman named Rodrigo Hernandez de Villalobos was one of the prominent figures who accompanied King Alfonso X of Castile on his campaigns against the Moors. Rodrigo Hernandez was known for his military prowess and loyalty to the crown.

During the 15th century, a Spanish explorer named Diego Hernandez de Serpa led an expedition to the Canary Islands and explored parts of the West African coast. He is credited with being one of the first Europeans to establish contact with the indigenous people of the Canary Islands.

In the 16th century, a renowned Spanish conquistador named Francisco Hernandez de Córdoba played a significant role in the conquest of Mexico. He led an expedition in 1517 that resulted in the first encounter between the Spanish and the Aztec Empire.

Another notable figure with the surname Herrnandez was Juan Hernandez, a Spanish navigator and explorer who accompanied Christopher Columbus on his second voyage to the Americas in 1493. Hernandez is believed to have been one of the first Europeans to set foot on the island of Puerto Rico.

Throughout the centuries, the surname Herrnandez has spread across various parts of the world, particularly in Latin American countries with Spanish colonial influence, such as Mexico, Colombia, and Argentina. However, its origins can be traced back to the Iberian Peninsula and the rich history of Spain during the Middle Ages.

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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