2000
#15,327
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,760
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.65
Rare Last name
Marinez
A Spanish habitational surname referring to someone from a place called Marín, derived from the Latin word "marinus" meaning "of the sea."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,769 Americans carry the last name Marinez. That puts it at #12,296 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.81 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 123,783 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Marinez surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
2.8K
1 in 123,783
Census rank
#12,296
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,415 bearers of the surname Marinez in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.81 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12296th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Marinez, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 92.6%. The next largest groups are White (5.7%) and Black (0.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Marinez
The surname MARINEZ originated in Spain during the medieval period. It is derived from the Latin name "Martinus," which means "dedicated to Mars," the Roman god of war. This name was later Latinized to "Martinez," with the "-ez" suffix indicating "son of."
The MARINEZ surname was initially found in the regions of Castile and Aragon, where it was borne by families of noble lineage. One of the earliest recorded instances of this name appears in the "Codex Calixtinus," a 12th-century manuscript detailing the pilgrimage routes to Santiago de Compostela.
During the Reconquista, the period when Christian kingdoms regained control of the Iberian Peninsula from the Moors, the MARINEZ name was associated with several notable figures. For instance, Gonzalo Martinez de Oviedo y Valdés (1478-1557) was a Spanish historian and author who wrote extensively about the early colonization of the Americas.
As the Spanish Empire expanded across the Atlantic, the MARINEZ surname spread to the New World. One of the earliest recorded instances is that of Juan Martinez de Rozas, who accompanied Hernán Cortés in the conquest of Mexico in the early 16th century.
In the realm of arts and literature, the MARINEZ name has also left its mark. Gregorio Martinez Sierra (1881-1947) was a celebrated Spanish playwright and novelist, renowned for his works that explored feminist themes.
Throughout history, the MARINEZ surname has been subject to various spelling variations, such as Martinez, Martiniz, and Martinis. These variations often reflected regional dialects or scribal errors in historical records.
Other notable individuals bearing the MARINEZ surname include:
1. Antonio Martinez (1668-1738), a Spanish architect who designed several notable buildings in Madrid.
2. Pedro Martinez de Arizala (1527-1598), a Spanish soldier and explorer who participated in the conquest of the Philippines.
3. Maria Martinez (1887-1980), a renowned Native American potter from the San Ildefonso Pueblo in New Mexico.
4. Melchor Martinez (1571-1632), a Spanish theologian and Jesuit priest who served as a missionary in Peru.
5. Ricardo Martinez (1958-present), a former professional tennis player from Spain who won several Grand Slam titles in the 1980s.
These examples illustrate the rich history and diversity of individuals who have carried the MARINEZ surname, reflecting its Spanish origins and the far-reaching influence of this name across various fields and continents.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Marinez
Among Census respondents with the surname Marinez, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 92.6%. The next largest groups are White (5.7%) and Black (0.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Marinez bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Marinez surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino92.6% · 2,237
- White5.7% · 137
- Black or African American0.6% · 15
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 9
- Two or more races0.4% · 9
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Marinez
Marinez appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#13,091
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,343
+583 bearers (+33.1%)
Per 100,000 0.79
Rank movement Up 2,236 places
2020
#12,296
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,415
+72 bearers (+3.1%)
Per 100,000 0.81
Rank movement Up 795 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #15,327 | 1,760 | 0.65 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,091 | 2,343 | 0.79 | +583 bearers (+33.1%) | Up 2,236 places |
| 2020 | #12,296 | 2,415 | 0.81 | +72 bearers (+3.1%) | Up 795 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Marinez surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #13,091 | #12,296 | 6.1% |
| Count | 2,343 | 2,415 | 3.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.79 | 0.81 | 2.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Marinez bearers went from 2,343 to 2,415 (+3.1% change). The surname moved up 795 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,091 to #12,296.
FAQ
Marinez surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Marinez?
Name Census estimates that about 2,769 living Americans carry the surname Marinez. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 123,783 residents.
How common is Marinez?
Marinez ranks #12,296 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.81 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,415 people with the surname Marinez. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,769), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.81 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.81 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Marinez.
Has Marinez become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Marinez went from 2,343 recorded bearers to 2,415. That is an increase of 72 (+3.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #13,091 to #12,296.
What does the Census say about the background of Marinez?
Among Census respondents with the surname Marinez, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 92.6%. The next largest groups are White (5.7%) and Black (0.6%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Marinez in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.6% (2,237 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Marinez appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (92.6%), White (5.7%), Black (0.6%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Marinez (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Marinez mean?
A Spanish habitational surname referring to someone from a place called Marín, derived from the Latin word "marinus" meaning "of the sea." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Marinez (0.81 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many Americans have the surname Marinez?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.