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

Las, 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 Las surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Las in America

Las is the 60960th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Las surname appeared 330 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 Las.

We can also compare 2010 data for Las 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 Las

The surname Las originated in Spain, with its roots traced back to the Middle Ages. It likely derived from the Spanish word "las," meaning "the" in English, which was commonly used as a prefix in place names or as a descriptive term.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Las surname can be found in the Libro de la Montería, a 14th-century manuscript detailing hunting grounds and animals in Spain. This document mentions individuals with the surname Las, suggesting its existence during that period.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Las surname appeared in various Spanish historical records and documents, including birth and marriage records in regions such as Andalusia, Catalonia, and Castile. Some notable examples include Juan de Las (1510-1583), a Spanish explorer and conquistador who accompanied Hernán Cortés in the conquest of Mexico, and Diego de Las Casas (1474-1566), a Spanish Dominican friar and bishop who advocated for the rights of Native Americans.

The Las surname was also linked to several place names in Spain, such as Las Palmas, Las Navas, and Las Rozas, indicating that some individuals may have adopted the surname based on their place of origin or residence.

In the 18th and 19th centuries, the Las surname continued to be prevalent in Spain, with several notable figures emerging. One example is Manuel Las Heras (1780-1866), an Argentine military leader and politician who played a significant role in the Argentine War of Independence.

Other historical figures with the Las surname include Bartolomé de Las Casas (1484-1566), a Spanish Dominican friar and historian known for his advocacy for the rights of Native Americans, and Gregorio de Las Casas (1497-1584), a Spanish prelate and jurist who served as the Bishop of Plasencia.

It is worth noting that while the Las surname has its roots in Spain, it has since spread to other parts of the world, including Latin America and other Spanish-speaking regions, due to migration and colonization.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Las

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

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

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

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