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

Menelas, 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 Menelas surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Menelas in America

Menelas is the 89403rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Menelas surname appeared 207 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 Menelas.

We can also compare 2010 data for Menelas 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 Menelas

The surname "MENELAS" is believed to have originated from the Greek island of Crete, with its roots dating back to the 15th century. This name is thought to be derived from the ancient Greek word "mene," which translates to "moon," and the suffix "-las," possibly denoting a person's occupation or place of origin.

One of the earliest recorded instances of this surname can be found in a document from the Venetian archives, where a merchant named Petros Menelas is mentioned as having conducted trade transactions with the Republic of Venice in the late 1400s. It is speculated that this individual may have hailed from the Cretan town of Menelaion, which could have influenced the surname's spelling.

During the 16th century, a notable figure bearing the name Menelas was Ioannis Menelas, a renowned scholar and philosopher from the city of Chania, Crete. Born in 1520, Ioannis is celebrated for his contributions to the study of classical Greek literature and his teachings at the prestigious Patriarchal School in Constantinople.

In the 17th century, the name Menelas appeared in several historical records from the island of Crete, including a reference to a landowner named Georgios Menelas, who possessed significant properties in the region of Rethymno. Additionally, a manuscript from the Cretan Renaissance period mentions a poet and playwright named Antonis Menelas, whose works were widely acclaimed during his lifetime.

As the centuries progressed, the surname Menelas spread beyond the confines of Crete, with individuals bearing this name making their mark in various fields. One such notable figure was Alexandros Menelas, a Greek military officer born in 1785, who fought valiantly during the Greek War of Independence against the Ottoman Empire in the early 19th century.

Another prominent individual with the surname Menelas was Nikos Menelas, a celebrated Greek painter and sculptor who lived from 1870 to 1945. His works, often depicting scenes from Greek mythology and folklore, are displayed in renowned galleries and museums across Greece and Europe.

While the surname Menelas has its roots firmly planted in the island of Crete, it has since been carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions, each leaving their unique imprint on the annals of history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Menelas

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

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

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

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