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

Menchu, 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 Menchu surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Menchu in America

Menchu is the 44193rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Menchu surname appeared 487 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 Menchu.

We can also compare 2010 data for Menchu 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 Menchu

The surname Menchu has its origins in Spain, emerging in the 15th century. It is believed to be derived from the Spanish word "mencho," which means "young man" or "lad." The name may have been used as a nickname or a descriptive term for a young male in a particular family or region.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Menchu surname can be found in the Catalan region of Spain. In a manuscript dated 1487, there is a reference to a person named Joan Menchu, who was a landowner in the town of Manresa.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Menchu name appeared in various historical records, particularly in the regions of Catalonia and Valencia. In 1612, a document from the town of Vinaròs mentioned a Vicente Menchu, who was a merchant and trader.

The Menchu surname has also been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One such person was Gaspar Menchu, a Catalan painter who lived in the late 16th century and was known for his religious artwork.

In the 18th century, there was a Francisco Menchu, who was a renowned architect from Valencia. He was responsible for designing several churches and public buildings in the region, including the Church of San Juan del Mercado in Valencia, which was completed in 1736.

Another notable figure with the Menchu surname was María Menchu, a Spanish writer and poet who lived in the early 19th century. She was born in Barcelona in 1798 and gained recognition for her literary works, which often explored themes of love, nature, and patriotism.

During the 20th century, one of the most famous individuals with the Menchu surname was Rigoberta Menchu, a Guatemalan human rights activist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate. Born in 1959, she was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1992 for her efforts in promoting the rights of indigenous people in Guatemala and raising awareness of their plight.

Additionally, there were historical references to place names that may have influenced the Menchu surname. For instance, in the province of Alicante, there was a small village called Menchu, which could have contributed to the origin or spreading of the surname in that region.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Menchu

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

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

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

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