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

José, 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 José surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of José in America

José is the 3348th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The José surname appeared 10,697 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname José.

We can also compare 2010 data for José 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 José

The surname Jose is of Spanish origin, derived from the personal name Joseph, which ultimately comes from the Hebrew name Yosef, meaning "he will add" or "he will increase." This name has been popular in Spanish-speaking regions since the introduction of Christianity.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Jose can be found in medieval Spanish documents from the 13th and 14th centuries. It was particularly prevalent in regions like Andalusia, where the Moorish influence contributed to the popularity of certain names derived from Arabic.

One notable early figure with the surname Jose was Pedro Jose, a 15th-century Spanish explorer and navigator who accompanied Christopher Columbus on his second voyage to the Americas in 1493. He played a crucial role in establishing settlements in the Caribbean.

In the 16th century, the surname Jose gained prominence in various parts of Spain, as well as in Spanish colonies in the Americas. One noteworthy individual was Diego Jose Navarro, a renowned architect who designed several iconic buildings in Mexico City during the colonial era.

As the Spanish Empire expanded, the surname Jose spread to other regions, including the Philippines. One famous bearer of the name was José Rizal (1861-1896), a revered Filipino polymath, writer, and revolutionary who played a pivotal role in the Philippine independence movement against Spanish colonial rule.

In the 19th century, the surname Jose was also found in various parts of Latin America. One prominent figure was José Martí (1853-1895), a Cuban philosopher, poet, and revolutionary who fought for the independence of Cuba from Spain.

Another notable individual with the surname Jose was José Raúl Capablanca (1888-1942), a Cuban chess grandmaster widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time. He held the World Chess Championship from 1921 to 1927.

These examples illustrate the widespread presence and historical significance of the surname Jose, which has been carried by notable individuals across various fields, from exploration and architecture to literature, politics, and sports, spanning multiple centuries and regions influenced by Spanish culture and language.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name José

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

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

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

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