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

Mendoz, 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 Mendoz surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Mendoz in America

Mendoz is the 98553rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Mendoz surname appeared 184 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 Mendoz.

We can also compare 2010 data for Mendoz 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 Mendoz

The surname Mendoz originated in Spain during the medieval period. It is derived from the Spanish place name Mendoza, which comes from the Basque words "mendi" meaning mountain, and "hotza" meaning cold. The name likely refers to a cold or inhospitable mountainous region.

The earliest recorded instances of the Mendoz surname can be traced back to the 10th century in the Basque region of northern Spain. It began appearing in historical documents and records around this time, often spelled in various forms like Mendoza, Mendoca, and Mendoça.

One of the most notable early bearers of the Mendoz name was Íñigo López de Mendoza, a 15th century Spanish nobleman, soldier, and poet. He was born in 1398 and served as the Marquis of Santillana. His writings are considered important works of early Spanish literature.

In the 16th century, the Mendoz name gained prominence through the conquistador Pedro de Mendoza, who was born in 1487. He led several expeditions to the Americas and founded the settlement that would later become Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Another historically significant individual with the Mendoz surname was Diego Hurtado de Mendoza, a Spanish diplomat, writer, and military figure from the 16th century. He was born in 1503 and is known for his literary works, including the satirical novel "El Lazarillo de Tormes."

Moving into the 17th century, Antonio de Mendoza Caamaño y Sotomayor was a Spanish naval officer and explorer who served as the Governor of the Philippines from 1670 to 1677. He played a crucial role in the colonization efforts in the Pacific region.

In more recent centuries, the Mendoz surname has continued to be associated with notable figures, such as the 19th century Mexican poet and journalist Manuel Acuña Mendoz, and the 20th century Spanish painter and sculptor Eduardo Chillida Mendoz.

While the Mendoz name originated in Spain, it has since spread to other regions due to migration and colonization efforts. It can be found in various parts of the Americas, particularly in Latin American countries with Spanish heritage.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Mendoz

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

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

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

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