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

Menchavez, 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 Menchavez surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Menchavez in America

Menchavez is the 129825th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Menchavez surname appeared 131 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 Menchavez.

The history of the last name Menchavez

The surname MENCHAVEZ originated in Spain during the medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Spanish words "mencha," meaning "stain" or "blemish," and "vez," meaning "time" or "occasion." This combination suggests that the name may have referred to someone who had a distinguishing physical characteristic or a notable event in their life.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the MENCHAVEZ surname can be found in the 14th-century archives of the Kingdom of Aragon, where a nobleman named Juan Menchavez was mentioned as a participant in a military campaign against the Moors. This record indicates that the name was already established in the region by that time.

In the 15th century, the MENCHAVEZ surname appeared in several documents from the region of Extremadura, Spain. One notable figure was Pedro Menchavez, a landowner and influential figure in the city of Trujillo, who was born around 1435 and died in 1498.

During the 16th century, the MENCHAVEZ surname began to spread beyond Spain as Spanish explorers and colonists ventured to the Americas. One prominent individual was Hernando Menchavez, a Spanish conquistador who accompanied Hernán Cortés in the conquest of Mexico. He was born in Seville, Spain, around 1495 and participated in the fall of Tenochtitlan in 1521.

In the 17th century, the MENCHAVEZ surname can be found in various parts of the Spanish Empire, including the Philippines and Latin America. One notable figure was María Menchavez, a Spanish settler in the Philippines who was born in 1623 and played a role in the establishment of a Catholic mission in the region.

Another significant individual was Diego Menchavez, a Spanish explorer and navigator who was born in Cádiz, Spain, in 1650. He led several expeditions to the Pacific Ocean and contributed to the mapping of the coasts of California and the Baja California peninsula.

Throughout its history, the MENCHAVEZ surname has been associated with various occupations, including nobility, military service, exploration, and religious missions. While the exact origin and meaning of the name may remain somewhat uncertain, it has become a part of the cultural heritage of Spain and the regions influenced by Spanish colonization.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Menchavez

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

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

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

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