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

Maese, 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 Maese surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Maese in America

Maese is the 22235th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Maese surname appeared 1,160 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 Maese.

We can also compare 2010 data for Maese 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 Maese

The surname MAESE has its origins in Spain, tracing back to the 15th century. It is derived from the Spanish word "maestro," which means "master" or "teacher." This name was initially given to individuals who held positions of authority or expertise in a particular field, such as a master craftsman or a respected teacher.

The earliest known record of the MAESE surname appears in the municipal archives of Seville, Spain, where a certain Juan Maese is mentioned in a document dated 1492. This coincides with the era of the Spanish Inquisition and the expulsion of Jews and Muslims from the Iberian Peninsula, suggesting that the name may have been adopted by those seeking to assimilate into Spanish society.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the MAESE surname spread throughout Spain and its colonies in the Americas. Notable individuals bearing this name include Pedro Maese de Rivera (c. 1550-1620), a Spanish conquistador who led expeditions into present-day New Mexico. Another prominent figure was Juan Maese de Cabrera (1611-1678), a Spanish military commander who served in the Viceroyalty of New Spain (Mexico).

As the Spanish Empire expanded, the MAESE surname also found its way to the Philippines, where it is still found today. One of the earliest recorded instances is Gaspar Maese, a Spanish soldier who participated in the colonization of the Philippine Islands in the late 16th century.

In the 19th century, the MAESE surname gained recognition in the realm of literature with the Spanish writer and playwright Juan Maese Soler (1807-1868), whose works focused on satirizing social and political issues of his time.

Another notable bearer of the MAESE surname was José Maese Peña (1879-1956), a Mexican revolutionary who fought alongside Pancho Villa during the Mexican Revolution and later became a general in the Mexican Army.

While the MAESE surname is most prevalent in Spain and its former colonies, it has also been found in other parts of Europe, such as Italy and France, where it may have been adopted by individuals with Spanish ancestry or connections.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Maese

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

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

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

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