2000
#3,612
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,045
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.35
Uncommon Last name
Menendez
A Spanish patronymic surname meaning "son of Menendo," derived from the Latin name Menendus, possibly meaning "strong and brave."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 13,242 Americans carry the last name Menendez. That puts it at #3,037 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.86 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 25,884 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Menendez surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Menendez with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
13K
1 in 25,884
Census rank
#3,037
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
12K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 11,548 bearers of the surname Menendez in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.86 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3037th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Menendez, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 87.7%. The next largest groups are White (10.5%) and Black (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Menendez
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 The earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the 10th century, where it appeared in various historical documents and records.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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Menendez
Among Census respondents with the surname Menendez, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 87.7%. The next largest groups are White (10.5%) and Black (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Menendez bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Menendez surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino87.7% · 10,127
- White10.5% · 1,208
- Black or African American1.0% · 115
- Two or more races0.4% · 44
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 43
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 11
Timeline
Historical Census data for Menendez
Menendez appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#3,102
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,609
+2,564 bearers (+28.3%)
Per 100,000 3.94
Rank movement Up 510 places
2020
#3,037
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,548
-61 bearers (-0.5%)
Per 100,000 3.86
Rank movement Up 65 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,612 | 9,045 | 3.35 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,102 | 11,609 | 3.94 | +2,564 bearers (+28.3%) | Up 510 places |
| 2020 | #3,037 | 11,548 | 3.86 | -61 bearers (-0.5%) | Up 65 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Menendez surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #3,102 | #3,037 | 2.1% |
| Count | 11,609 | 11,548 | -0.5% |
| Per 100K | 3.94 | 3.86 | -1.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Menendez bearers went from 11,609 to 11,548 (-0.5% change). The surname moved up 65 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,102 to #3,037.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Menendez
FAQ
Menendez surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Menendez?
Name Census estimates that about 13,242 living Americans carry the surname Menendez. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 25,884 residents.
How common is Menendez?
Menendez ranks #3,037 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.86 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 11,548 people with the surname Menendez. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (13,242), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.86 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.86 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Menendez.
Has Menendez become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Menendez went from 11,609 recorded bearers to 11,548. That is a decrease of 61 (-0.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #3,102 to #3,037.
What does the Census say about the background of Menendez?
Among Census respondents with the surname Menendez, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 87.7%. The next largest groups are White (10.5%) and Black (1.0%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Menendez in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.7% (10,127 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Menendez appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (87.7%), White (10.5%), Black (1.0%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Menendez (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Menendez mean?
A Spanish patronymic surname meaning "son of Menendo," derived from the Latin name Menendus, possibly meaning "strong and brave." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Menendez (3.86 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people share the surname Menendez?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.