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

Mecías, 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 Mecías surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Mecías in America

Mecías is the 115034th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Mecías surname appeared 152 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 Mecías.

We can also compare 2010 data for Mecías 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 Mecías

The surname MECIAS is of Spanish origin, with its roots traced back to the 15th century. It is believed to have originated from the region of Andalusia, in southern Spain, where it was initially spelled as "Mexías" or "Mejías."

This surname is thought to be derived from the Arabic word "muḥyī," meaning "reviver" or "one who gives life." This connection suggests that the name may have been borne by individuals who played a role in reviving or rejuvenating specific aspects of their community, such as agriculture, culture, or religious practices.

Early records of the MECIAS surname can be found in various historical documents from the 15th and 16th centuries. For instance, the name appears in the "Libro de Repartimiento de Lorca," a medieval manuscript detailing the distribution of land and properties in the city of Lorca, located in the region of Murcia, Spain.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the MECIAS surname was Gonzalo Mexías, a Spanish conquistador who participated in the conquest of Mexico alongside Hernán Cortés in the early 16th century. Another notable figure was Pedro Mexía (1497-1552), a Spanish humanist and writer who authored works such as "Silva de varia lección" (Miscellany of Various Readings).

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the MECIAS surname spread throughout Spain and its colonies, including the Americas. Several prominent individuals bore this surname, including Juan Mexía de la Cerda (1555-1629), a Spanish nobleman who served as the Viceroy of New Spain (present-day Mexico) from 1624 to 1629.

Another notable figure was Agustín Mexía (1655-1725), a Spanish Franciscan friar and missionary who played a significant role in the evangelization of California and the establishment of missions along the Pacific Coast of North America.

In later centuries, the MECIAS surname continued to be present in various regions of Spain and Latin America. One notable individual was Manuel Mexía y Lequerica (1801-1875), a Spanish politician and diplomat who served as the Minister of State (equivalent to Foreign Minister) during the reign of Queen Isabella II.

It is worth noting that the MECIAS surname has undergone various spelling variations over time, including "Mexía," "Mejía," and "Mexías," reflecting the linguistic and cultural influences of different regions where the name has been present.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Mecías

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

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

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

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