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

Menéndez, 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 Menéndez surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Menéndez in America

Menéndez is the 3102nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Menéndez surname appeared 11,609 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname Menéndez.

We can also compare 2010 data for Menéndez 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 Menéndez

The surname Menendez originates from Spain, and it is believed to have its roots in the Middle Ages. The name itself is derived from the Spanish word "Menéndez," which is a patronymic form of the given name "Menendo," a variant of the Germanic name "Ermenegildo."

This surname was particularly prevalent in the northern regions of Spain, such as Asturias, Cantabria, and the Basque Country. The earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the 10th century, where it appeared in various historical documents and records.

One of the earliest known references to the name Menendez can be found in the Codex Calixtinus, a 12th-century manuscript that serves as a guidebook for pilgrims traveling the Camino de Santiago. This manuscript mentions several individuals with the surname Menendez, suggesting its widespread use during that period.

In the 13th century, the name Menendez gained recognition with the exploits of Rodrigo Menendez de Valdés, a prominent knight who served under the king of Castile, Alfonso VIII. Rodrigo played a crucial role in the Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa in 1212, where the Christian forces defeated the Almohad rulers of the Iberian Peninsula.

Another notable figure bearing the surname Menendez was Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, a Spanish sailor and military leader who lived from 1519 to 1574. He is best known for establishing the first permanent European settlement in what is now the United States, St. Augustine, Florida, in 1565.

During the 16th century, the Menendez family also had a significant presence in the Canary Islands, where they were involved in the sugar trade and held influential positions. One prominent member of this branch was Pedro Menendez de Luarca, who served as the governor of the Canary Islands from 1580 to 1588.

In the realm of literature, the Spanish writer and poet Ramón de Campoamor y Campoosorio, born in 1817 and died in 1901, was also known by his maternal surname, Menéndez de Campoamor. He is considered one of the most celebrated poets of the Romantic era in Spain.

Throughout its history, the surname Menendez has been associated with various influential individuals, from military leaders and governors to writers and poets, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and contributions of those who carried this name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Menéndez

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

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

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

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