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

Méndez, 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 Méndez surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Méndez in America

Méndez is the 162nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Méndez surname appeared 161,717 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 55 people would have the surname Méndez.

We can also compare 2010 data for Méndez 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 Méndez

The surname Mendez has its origins in Spain, where it first emerged in the medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Spanish word "mendez," which means "son of Mendo." Mendo was a common given name during the Middle Ages, originating from the Germanic name "Amund."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Mendez surname can be found in the Cartulario de San Millán de la Cogolla, a collection of medieval documents from the Monastery of San Millán de la Cogolla in La Rioja, Spain, dating back to the 10th century. The name appears in various forms, such as "Mendez," "Mendes," and "Méndez."

During the 12th century, the Mendez surname was prevalent in the regions of Galicia and Asturias, where it was associated with several noble families. One notable figure from this period was Pedro Mendez de Valdés, a Galician nobleman and military leader who fought in the Reconquista against the Moors.

In the 15th century, the Mendez surname gained prominence with the rise of Diego Hurtado de Mendoza, a renowned Spanish statesman, diplomat, and writer. He was born in 1415 in Guadalajara and served as the ambassador to Rome and Venice, among other influential positions.

Another notable individual was Juan de Mendoza y Luna, born in 1490 in Guadalajara, who served as the Viceroy of New Spain (present-day Mexico) from 1535 to 1551. He played a crucial role in the Spanish conquest and colonization of the region.

The Mendez surname also has a strong presence in Portugal, where it is often spelled "Mendes." One of the most famous Portuguese figures with this surname was Fernando Mendes Pinto, a 16th-century explorer and writer who traveled extensively throughout Asia and documented his adventures in the book "Peregrinação" (The Travels of Mendes Pinto).

In the New World, the Mendez surname can be traced back to the early Spanish colonizers and explorers who arrived in the Americas. Juan Rodríguez Mendez, born in Seville in 1562, was one of the first settlers in present-day Florida and helped establish the city of St. Augustine in 1565.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Méndez

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

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

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

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