Find out how popular the last name Mendoza Cruz 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 Cruz.

Mendoza Cruz, 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 Cruz surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Mendoza Cruz in America

Mendoza Cruz is the 99378th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Mendoza Cruz surname appeared 182 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 Mendoza Cruz.

The history of the last name Mendoza Cruz

The surname MENDOZACRUZ originates from Spain and can be traced back to the 11th century. It is a compound name formed by the union of two distinct surnames, Mendoza and Cruz. The first part, Mendoza, derives from the town of the same name located in the province of Guadalajara, Spain. It is believed to have originated from the Basque language, with "mendoza" meaning "cold mountain."

The second part, Cruz, is a Spanish word meaning "cross," which was likely adopted as a surname during the Christian reconquest of the Iberian Peninsula from the Moors. The combination of these two surnames suggests a marriage or alliance between families bearing these names at some point in history.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the MENDOZACRUZ surname can be found in the archives of the Kingdom of Castile, dating back to the 13th century. These records mention a noble family from the region of La Mancha, whose members held positions of influence during the reign of King Alfonso X.

In the 15th century, a notable figure bearing this surname was Diego Hurtado de MENDOZACRUZ (1415-1479), a Spanish diplomat and military commander who played a crucial role in the conquest of Granada, the last Moorish stronghold on the Iberian Peninsula. He served under the Catholic Monarchs, Isabella I of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon.

Another prominent individual was María de MENDOZACRUZ (1508-1587), a Spanish noblewoman and patron of the arts. She was known for her support of the renowned painter El Greco, who created several portraits of her and her family.

During the 16th century, the MENDOZACRUZ surname gained prominence in the Americas, as Spanish conquistadors and settlers brought the name to the New World. One such figure was Pedro de MENDOZACRUZ (1499-1576), a Spanish explorer and first governor of the Río de la Plata region, which later became part of Argentina.

In the 18th century, José de MENDOZACRUZ (1725-1802) was a notable Spanish naval officer and cartographer who participated in various expeditions to the Pacific Ocean and contributed to the mapping of the west coast of North America.

Over the centuries, the MENDOZACRUZ surname has spread across Spain and Latin America, with many individuals of this lineage making significant contributions to various fields, including politics, military, arts, and exploration.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Mendoza Cruz

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

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 Cruz 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 Mendoza Cruz 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 Cruz, please contact us.

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