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

Mejía-Cruz, 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 Mejía-Cruz surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Mejía-Cruz in America

Mejía-Cruz is the 123064th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Mejía-Cruz surname appeared 140 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 Mejía-Cruz.

The history of the last name Mejía-Cruz

The surname MEJIACRUZ is of Spanish origin, originating in the regions of Andalusia and Extremadura. It is a compound name, with the first part, "Mejia," derived from the Arabic word "muhtaj," meaning "poor" or "needy." This suggests that the name may have been given to a person of humble origins or someone who sought charity. The second part, "Cruz," means "cross" in Spanish, indicating a possible connection to Christian symbolism or a place name associated with a notable cross.

MEJIACRUZ is believed to have first appeared in historical records during the 12th century, shortly after the Christian reconquest of the Iberian Peninsula from the Moors. During this period, many individuals adopted surnames reflecting their occupations, physical characteristics, or places of origin. The earliest known bearer of the surname MEJIACRUZ was Juan Mejiacruz, a soldier who fought in the Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa in 1212, a decisive victory for the Christian forces against the Almohad Caliphate.

In the 15th century, the name MEJIACRUZ appears in the records of the Spanish Inquisition, with a notable figure being Alonso Mejiacruz, who was accused of converso practices (secretly adhering to Judaism) in Seville in 1492. This suggests that some members of the MEJIACRUZ family may have been of Jewish ancestry and were forced to convert to Christianity during the Inquisition.

One of the most famous bearers of the MEJIACRUZ name was Hernán Mejiacruz (1495-1564), a Spanish conquistador who accompanied Hernán Cortés in the conquest of Mexico. Mejiacruz was among the first Europeans to encounter the Aztec civilization and played a significant role in the subjugation of the indigenous peoples.

In the 17th century, the MEJIACRUZ name was associated with the Spanish settlements in the Americas, with notable figures such as Diego Mejiacruz (1620-1685), a landowner and rancher in New Spain (present-day Mexico), and María Mejiacruz (1645-1712), a prominent member of the Spanish colonial society in Peru.

Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, the MEJIACRUZ name continued to appear in various regions of Spain and its former colonies, with individuals like José Mejiacruz (1785-1849), a military officer who fought in the Spanish American wars of independence, and Catalina Mejiacruz (1810-1875), a renowned philanthropist and advocate for women's education in Seville.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Mejía-Cruz

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Mejía-Cruz.

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 Mejía-Cruz 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.

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 Mejía-Cruz was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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