2000
#9,690
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,076
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.14
Rare Last name
Mendieta
Basque habitational surname derived from the Basque words "mendi" meaning "mountain" and "eta" meaning "place of."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,055 Americans carry the last name Mendieta. That puts it at #7,294 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.47 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 67,805 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mendieta surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
5.1K
1 in 67,805
Census rank
#7,294
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,408 bearers of the surname Mendieta in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.47 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7294th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mendieta, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 93.9%. The next largest groups are White (4.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mendieta
The surname Mendieta originates from the Basque region of northern Spain and southwestern France, dating back to the early Middle Ages. It is derived from the Basque words "mendi" meaning mountain and "eta" meaning place, essentially translating to "place of the mountain."
The Basque Country, where the name first emerged, is known for its rugged mountain terrain, and it is likely that the name initially referred to individuals or families residing in mountainous areas or villages. The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in medieval Basque documents and records from the 11th and 12th centuries.
One of the earliest known bearers of the Mendieta surname was Lope de Mendieta, a Basque nobleman and military commander who fought in the Reconquista campaigns against the Moors in the 13th century. His name appears in several chronicles and historical accounts from that period.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Mendieta name gained prominence in various parts of Spain, particularly in regions with strong Basque cultural influences. Notable individuals include Jerónimo de Mendieta, a Franciscan friar and historian born in 1525, who authored one of the earliest comprehensive accounts of the conquest of Mexico.
Another prominent figure was Juan de Mendieta y Raya, a Spanish philosopher and theologian born in 1571, who made significant contributions to the development of Thomistic thought and served as a professor at the University of Salamanca.
In the 18th century, José de Mendieta y Montes de Oca, born in 1706, was a prominent Spanish military officer and colonial administrator who served as the governor of several regions in New Spain (present-day Mexico) and Puerto Rico.
As the Mendieta name spread across Spain and its colonies, variations in spelling emerged, such as Mendietta, Mendiola, and Mendietaren. These variations often reflected regional dialects or linguistic adaptations.
Throughout history, the Mendieta surname has been associated with various professions and fields, including military service, religious orders, academia, and colonial administration, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and contributions of those who bore this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mendieta
Among Census respondents with the surname Mendieta, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 93.9%. The next largest groups are White (4.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Mendieta bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Mendieta surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino93.9% · 4,139
- White4.8% · 212
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 25
- Black or African American0.5% · 20
- Two or more races0.2% · 9
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mendieta
Mendieta appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#7,209
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,630
+1,554 bearers (+50.5%)
Per 100,000 1.57
Rank movement Up 2,481 places
2020
#7,294
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,408
-222 bearers (-4.8%)
Per 100,000 1.47
Rank movement Down 85 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,690 | 3,076 | 1.14 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,209 | 4,630 | 1.57 | +1,554 bearers (+50.5%) | Up 2,481 places |
| 2020 | #7,294 | 4,408 | 1.47 | -222 bearers (-4.8%) | Down 85 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Mendieta surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #7,209 | #7,294 | -1.2% |
| Count | 4,630 | 4,408 | -4.8% |
| Per 100K | 1.57 | 1.47 | -6.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mendieta bearers went from 4,630 to 4,408 (-4.8% change). The surname moved down 85 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,209 to #7,294.
FAQ
Mendieta surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mendieta?
Name Census estimates that about 5,055 living Americans carry the surname Mendieta. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 67,805 residents.
How common is Mendieta?
Mendieta ranks #7,294 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.47 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,408 people with the surname Mendieta. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,055), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.47 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.47 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Mendieta.
Has Mendieta become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mendieta went from 4,630 recorded bearers to 4,408. That is a decrease of 222 (-4.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,209 to #7,294.
What does the Census say about the background of Mendieta?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mendieta, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 93.9%. The next largest groups are White (4.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.6%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Mendieta in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.9% (4,139 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mendieta appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (93.9%), White (4.8%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.6%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Mendieta (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Mendieta mean?
Basque habitational surname derived from the Basque words "mendi" meaning "mountain" and "eta" meaning "place of." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Mendieta (1.47 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How common is the surname Mendieta?
You can see how many people have the last name Mendieta on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.