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

Magallán, 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 Magallán surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Magallán in America

Magallán is the 27331st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Magallán surname appeared 884 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 Magallán.

We can also compare 2010 data for Magallán 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 Magallán

The surname Magallan is of Spanish origin, with roots dating back to the 15th century. It is believed to have originated from the region of Galicia in northwestern Spain. The name is derived from the ancient Roman place name "Magallana," which referred to a specific location within Galicia.

During the time of the Reconquista, when Christian kingdoms were reclaiming territory from the Moors, many Galicians migrated to other parts of Spain. It is likely that individuals bearing the surname Magallan moved to different regions during this period, contributing to the dispersal of the name.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Magallan can be found in the Libro Becerro de Behetrías de Castilla, a historical document from the 14th century that listed landowners and their properties in the Kingdom of Castile. The name appears as "Magallán," indicating its presence in the region at that time.

The most famous bearer of the surname Magallan is undoubtedly the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan (1480-1521), whose Spanish name was Fernando de Magallanes. He led the first expedition to circumnavigate the globe, a voyage that began in 1519 and ended with his death in the Philippines in 1521. The strait that separates the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans was named after him.

Another notable figure with the Magallan surname was Juan de Magallanes y Navarrete (1592-1644), a Spanish military officer and governor of the Philippines from 1636 to 1644. He played a crucial role in defending the Spanish colony against various threats during his tenure.

In the realm of literature, Joaquín María Magallón y Armendáriz (1819-1884) was a Spanish writer and playwright from Navarre. His works, including plays and novels, explored themes of social commentary and historical events.

Turning to the arts, Jacobo Magallán (1887-1970) was a renowned Mexican painter and muralist. His vibrant murals, depicting scenes from Mexican history and culture, adorned numerous public buildings and institutions throughout the country.

Lastly, María Magallón Partida (1909-2001) was a Mexican writer and activist. She was a prominent figure in the women's rights movement in Mexico and authored several works addressing issues of gender equality and social justice.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Magallán

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

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

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

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