Find out how popular the last name Mendez 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 Mendez Cruz.

Mendez 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 Mendez Cruz surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Mendez Cruz in America

Mendez Cruz is the 126018th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Mendez Cruz surname appeared 136 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 Mendez Cruz.

The history of the last name Mendez Cruz

The surname MENDEZCRUZ is of Spanish origin, originating in the regions of Galicia and Asturias in northern Spain. It is a compound surname formed by the combination of two separate surnames, Mendez and Cruz. The first part, Mendez, is derived from the Spanish patronymic "Mendo," which is thought to have its roots in the Germanic name "Mundu." The second part, Cruz, is a common Spanish surname meaning "cross."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname MENDEZCRUZ can be found in the Libro de las Behetrías de Castilla, a 14th-century census document from the reign of King Pedro I of Castile. In this record, a certain Fernán Pérez Mendezcruz is mentioned as a landowner in the region of Liébana, near the border of modern-day Cantabria and Asturias.

In the 15th century, a notable figure named Juan Mendezcruz is recorded as a prominent merchant and shipowner based in the port city of Seville. He played a role in financing and supplying some of the early voyages of exploration to the Americas.

During the Spanish colonization of the Americas, several individuals with the surname MENDEZCRUZ made their mark. One such figure was Diego Mendezcruz, a conquistador who participated in the conquest of Peru alongside Francisco Pizarro in the 16th century.

Another notable bearer of the name was Beatriz Mendezcruz, a 17th-century writer and poet from Seville. Her works, which included religious poetry and plays, were widely acclaimed during her lifetime.

In the 18th century, a military officer named Manuel Mendezcruz served in the Spanish army and participated in campaigns against the British during the Seven Years' War. He later became the governor of the Spanish colony of Florida.

Over the centuries, the MENDEZCRUZ surname has also been associated with various place names in Spain, such as the village of Mendezcruz in the province of Lugo, Galicia. This village likely took its name from an early landowner or prominent family bearing the surname.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Mendez Cruz

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Mendez 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 Mendez 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 Mendez 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 Mendez Cruz, please contact us.

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