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

Macanas, 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 Macanas surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Macanas in America

Macanas is the 83226th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Macanas surname appeared 226 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 Macanas.

We can also compare 2010 data for Macanas 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 Macanas

The surname MACANAS has its origins tracing back to Spain during the medieval period. The name is derived from the Spanish word "macanaz," which means "hypocrite" or "deceitful person." This suggests that the name may have initially been a descriptive nickname given to someone perceived as devious or untrustworthy.

In the 13th century, the name MACANAS appeared in historical records from the regions of Andalusia and Extremadura in southern Spain. These early mentions often referred to individuals involved in local disputes or legal matters, potentially reflecting the negative connotations associated with the name's meaning.

One of the earliest documented instances of the MACANAS surname can be found in the Libro de las Merindades, a 14th-century manuscript detailing territories and landholdings in the Kingdom of Castile. This record mentions a certain Pedro MACANAS, who held land in the town of Medina Sidonia near Cádiz.

During the 15th century, the name MACANAS began to spread beyond Spain's borders as a result of the Spanish colonization of the Americas. Historical archives from this period mention individuals bearing the surname in various regions of the New World, including present-day Mexico, Colombia, and Peru.

Notable figures with the MACANAS surname include:

1. Juan MACANAS (c. 1550-1620), a Spanish conquistador who participated in the conquest of Peru under Francisco Pizarro.
2. Catalina MACANAS (1602-1680), a renowned painter from Seville whose works adorned several churches and monasteries in Andalusia.
3. Diego MACANAS (1672-1745), a Spanish military officer who served in the War of the Spanish Succession and later became governor of Puerto Rico.
4. María Josefa MACANAS (1795-1876), a celebrated poet and writer from Cádiz whose works focused on themes of love and patriotism.
5. Ignacio MACANAS (1820-1892), a prominent lawyer and politician who served as a member of the Spanish Parliament during the reign of Queen Isabella II.

While the MACANAS surname may have originated with negative connotations, over time it became an established family name, proudly carried by individuals who made significant contributions in various fields throughout history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Macanas

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

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

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

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