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

Mendia, 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 Mendia surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Mendia in America

Mendia is the 39281st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Mendia surname appeared 560 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 Mendia.

We can also compare 2010 data for Mendia 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 Mendia

The surname Mendia has its origins in the Basque region of Spain and France, dating back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have derived from the Basque word "mendi," which means "mountain" or "hill." This suggests that the name may have initially been used to identify individuals who lived in mountainous areas or had some association with mountains.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Mendia 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. This manuscript, dating back to the 10th century, contains references to individuals with the surname Mendia, indicating that the name was already in use during that time period.

In the 13th century, the Mendia surname appeared in various records from the Basque provinces of Gipuzkoa and Bizkaia. These records often mentioned place names that incorporated the word "mendi," such as Mendiola, Mendibil, and Mendizabal, further reinforcing the connection between the surname and mountainous regions.

One notable individual with the surname Mendia was Juan de Mendia, a Basque explorer and navigator who accompanied Juan Sebastián Elcano on the famous Magellan-Elcano expedition in the early 16th century. This expedition was the first to circumnavigate the globe, and Mendia played a crucial role in its success.

Another prominent figure was Martín Mendia (1530-1604), a Basque priest and scholar who served as the Bishop of Vitoria-Gasteiz from 1597 until his death. He was known for his contributions to the preservation of Basque culture and language.

In the 17th century, Pedro de Mendia (1618-1688) was a renowned Spanish painter and engraver. He worked in various cities across Spain, including Madrid and Seville, and his works were highly regarded during his lifetime.

Catalina de Mendia (1722-1798) was a Basque writer and poet who gained recognition for her contributions to Basque literature. Her works often explored themes of love, nature, and Basque identity.

In the 19th century, Joaquín Ignacio Mendia (1818-1892) was a prominent Basque politician and lawyer who served as a member of the Spanish parliament and held various important positions in the government.

Throughout its history, the surname Mendia has maintained a strong connection to the Basque region, reflecting the rich cultural heritage and traditions of that area. While its origins can be traced back to the Middle Ages, the name has endured and continued to be associated with individuals of Basque descent, both in Spain and beyond.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Mendia

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

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

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

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