Find out how popular the last name Mendez-Hernande 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-Hernande.

Mendez-Hernande, 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-Hernande surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Mendez-Hernande in America

Mendez-Hernande is the 79598th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Mendez-Hernande surname appeared 239 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-Hernande.

The history of the last name Mendez-Hernande

The surname "MENDEZHERNANDE" is of Spanish origin, tracing its roots back to the medieval period in the Iberian Peninsula. It is a compound surname formed by the fusion of two distinct family names: "Mendez" and "Hernande".

The first component, "Mendez," is derived from the ancient Iberian personal name "Mendo" or "Mende," which may have its origins in the Visigothic language or the Basque word "mendi," meaning "mountain." This suggests that the earliest bearers of this name might have hailed from mountainous regions of Spain or the Basque Country.

The second part, "Hernande," is a patronymic surname derived from the Germanic personal name "Hernando" or "Fernando," which means "adventurous journey." This name gained popularity in Spain after the marriage of King Ferdinand III of Castile and Queen Juana of Ponthieu in the 13th century.

Historical records indicate that the combined surname "MENDEZHERNANDE" first appeared in medieval Spanish documents and manuscripts from the 14th and 15th centuries, particularly in regions such as Castile, Aragon, and Andalusia. One notable early bearer of this surname was Hernán Méndez de Sotomayor, a 15th-century Spanish nobleman and military commander who fought in the Reconquista against the Moors.

In the 16th century, the surname gained prominence through individuals like Pedro Mendes de Avilés, a Spanish explorer and navigator who led expeditions to the Americas and founded the city of St. Augustine, Florida, in 1565. Another notable figure was Alonso Méndez de Salazar, a Spanish conquistador and founder of the city of Trujillo in present-day Peru.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, several members of the MENDEZHERNANDE family played significant roles in the Spanish colonization of the Americas. Juan Méndez de Alvarado, born in 1595, was a Spanish military officer and governor of the Captaincy General of Guatemala. Álvaro Méndez de Carvajal, born in 1648, was a Spanish nobleman and governor of the Viceroyalty of Peru.

In the 19th century, José Méndez Hernández, a Spanish military officer and politician, served as the interim President of Spain for a brief period in 1843. Another notable figure was Domingo Méndez Capote, a Cuban writer and journalist born in 1829, who was a prominent figure in the Cuban independence movement.

Throughout its history, the surname "MENDEZHERNANDE" has been associated with notable individuals from various walks of life, including military leaders, explorers, writers, and politicians, reflecting the diverse cultural heritage and contributions of this Spanish family name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Mendez-Hernande

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Mendez-Hernande.

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-Hernande 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-Hernande 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-Hernande, please contact us.

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