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

Mendoza, 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 Mendoza surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Mendoza in America

Mendoza is the 88th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Mendoza surname appeared 242,771 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 82 people would have the surname Mendoza.

We can also compare 2010 data for Mendoza 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 Mendoza

The surname Mendoza originates from Spain and has its roots in the 8th century. It is derived from the Basque words "mendi" meaning mountain and "hotza" meaning cold, referring to a cold mountainous region. The name is closely linked to the town of Mendoza, located in the northern Spanish province of Álava.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the Mendoza name dates back to the 10th century, appearing in the Becerro Galicano, an ancient manuscript containing genealogical records of prominent Spanish families. This document references a nobleman named Diego López de Mendoza, who lived during the reign of King Sancho I of León.

In the 12th century, the Mendoza family gained significant prominence and influence in Spain. Iñigo López de Mendoza, born in 1188, was a prominent military leader and served as the Lord of Hita and Buitrago. His descendants continued to play influential roles in Spanish politics and society throughout the subsequent centuries.

The Mendoza surname is also closely associated with the city of Mendoza in Argentina, which was founded in 1561 by Pedro del Castillo and named after the governor of Chile at the time, García Hurtado de Mendoza. This city, located in the western region of Argentina, became an important agricultural and wine-producing center.

Notable individuals bearing the Mendoza surname include:

1. Diego Hurtado de Mendoza (1465-1536), a Spanish Renaissance writer, poet, and diplomat who served as the ambassador to the Holy Roman Empire and Venice.

2. Íñigo López de Mendoza y Quiñones (1398-1458), known as the Marquis of Santillana, a prominent Spanish poet and patron of the arts during the Renaissance.

3. Francisco de Mendoza (1508-1566), a Spanish conquistador and explorer who participated in the conquest of Guatemala and founded the city of Santiago de los Caballeros de Guatemala.

4. Antonio de Mendoza (1490-1552), the first viceroy of New Spain (Mexico) and a significant figure in the Spanish colonization of the Americas.

5. María de Mendoza (1508-1567), a Spanish noblewoman and patron of the arts, known for her literary salon and support of writers and artists during the Spanish Renaissance.

While the Mendoza surname has its roots in Spain, it has since spread across the globe and is now found in various countries, particularly in Latin America, where it is a prominent surname with a rich historical legacy.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Mendoza

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

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

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

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