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

Macias, 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 Macias surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Macias in America

Macias is the 538th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Macias surname appeared 62,227 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 21 people would have the surname Macias.

We can also compare 2010 data for Macias 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 Macias

The surname Macias is of Spanish origin and can be traced back to the early medieval period in the Iberian Peninsula. It is derived from the Roman name Matthias, a Latinized form of the Hebrew name Mattathiah, meaning "gift of God." The name first appeared in written records during the 8th century, when the Moorish conquest of Spain brought Arabic influences to the region.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Macias is found in the Codex Calixtinus, a 12th-century manuscript that chronicles the travels of pilgrims along the Camino de Santiago. The manuscript mentions a certain Macias de León, a nobleman who provided lodging and provisions for pilgrims passing through his lands.

During the 13th century, the surname Macias gained prominence in the Kingdom of Aragon, particularly in the city of Valencia. In 1265, a poet known as Macias el Enamorado (Macias the Enamoured) was born in the town of Vallada. His tragic love story and poetic works became widely renowned throughout Spain and beyond.

In the 14th century, the name Macias appeared in the Libro de la Montería, a hunting treatise commissioned by King Alfonso XI of Castile. The book mentions a certain Juan Macias, a skilled huntsman who accompanied the king on his hunting expeditions.

The 15th century saw the rise of the influential Macias family in the city of Seville. One of the most notable members was Hernán Macias, a wealthy merchant and landowner who financed several voyages of exploration to the New World. His son, Juan Macias de Ribera, accompanied Christopher Columbus on his second voyage to the Americas in 1493.

During the 16th century, the name Macias spread throughout the Spanish territories in Europe and the Americas. One prominent figure was Pedro Macias de Líñan, a Spanish conquistador who participated in the conquest of Guatemala and served as the first governor of the province of Verapaz from 1547 to 1549.

In the 17th century, the Macias family established itself in the Spanish colonies of Mexico and Peru. Melchor Macias de la Llana, born in Lima in 1619, was a renowned painter and sculptor who contributed to the Baroque art movement in the region.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Macias

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

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

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

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