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

Iglesias, 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 Iglesias surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Iglesias in America

Iglesias is the 124548th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Iglesias surname appeared 138 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 Iglesias.

The history of the last name Iglesias

The surname IGLECIAS is of Spanish origin, with its roots tracing back to the 8th century during the Moorish conquest of the Iberian Peninsula. It is believed to have derived from the Arabic word "al-kanisa," which translates to "the church." This suggests that the name may have been initially bestowed upon families who lived in close proximity to a church or those who held positions within the ecclesiastical hierarchy.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Repartimiento de Sevilla, a medieval document that documented the distribution of lands and properties among the Christian settlers in the city of Seville after its reconquest in 1248. This document mentions several individuals bearing the surname IGLECIAS, indicating their presence in the region during that time period.

In the 14th century, the name IGLECIAS appeared in the Libro de la Montería, a hunting treatise commissioned by King Alfonso XI of Castile. The work mentions a certain Pedro Iglecias, who was a skilled huntsman in the service of the king, suggesting that the name was already well-established among the Spanish nobility.

During the 15th century, the IGLECIAS surname gained prominence with the rise of Juan de Iglecias, a renowned scholar and theologian who served as the Bishop of Segovia from 1480 to 1498. His contributions to the intellectual and religious spheres of his time cemented the name's association with the ecclesiastical realm.

Another notable bearer of the IGLECIAS surname was Rodrigo de Iglecias (1525-1588), a Spanish explorer and conquistador who accompanied Francisco Pizarro on his expeditions to Peru. Iglecias played a crucial role in the conquest of the Inca Empire and later served as the governor of several Spanish territories in South America.

In the 17th century, the IGLECIAS family produced several prominent figures, including Antonio de Iglecias (1620-1678), a Baroque painter renowned for his religious works adorning numerous churches and cathedrals across Spain.

As the centuries passed, the IGLECIAS surname continued to be associated with influential individuals, such as Miguel Iglecias (1758-1823), a Spanish military officer who fought in the Napoleonic Wars and later served as the Governor of Catalonia.

While the origins of the IGLECIAS surname can be traced back to medieval Spain, its presence has since spread across the globe, carried by generations of Spanish emigrants and settlers. Today, the name serves as a testament to the rich cultural and linguistic heritage of the Iberian Peninsula.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Iglesias

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

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

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

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