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

Menera, 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 Menera surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Menera in America

Menera is the 40554th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Menera surname appeared 539 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 Menera.

We can also compare 2010 data for Menera 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 Menera

The surname Menera has its roots in the Basque region of northern Spain and southwestern France, tracing back to the 11th century. It is believed to have derived from the Basque word "menera," meaning "way" or "manner," potentially referring to a person's distinctive characteristics or occupation.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Menera can be found in the Codex de Roda, a medieval cartulary compiled in the late 11th century at the monastery of Roda de Isábena in Aragon, Spain. This manuscript contains references to individuals bearing the surname, suggesting its use during that period.

In the 13th century, the name Menera appeared in various documents from the Kingdom of Navarre, indicating its presence in the region. One notable figure was Juan de Menera, a prominent landowner and nobleman who lived in the late 13th century and held significant influence in the town of Tafalla.

During the 15th century, the Menera surname gained further recognition with the rise of Pedro de Menera, a renowned architect and stonemason. He was responsible for the construction of several notable buildings in the Basque Country, including the Church of San Sebastián in Somorrostro, which still stands today.

Another prominent individual bearing the Menera surname was Martín de Menera, a 16th-century Basque explorer and navigator. He accompanied Juan Sebastián Elcano on the famous Magellan-Elcano expedition, which completed the first circumnavigation of the globe. Menera's contributions to the expedition were documented in Elcano's accounts.

In the 17th century, the Menera family established themselves in the town of Villafranca de Ordizia, where they owned substantial land holdings and were influential members of the local community. One notable figure was Juana de Menera, who was renowned for her philanthropic efforts and patronage of the arts.

Over the centuries, the surname Menera has been found in various spellings, such as Menera, Meneira, and Maneira, reflecting regional variations and linguistic influences. Additionally, some variations of the name have been linked to specific place names, such as Menera de Suso and Menera de Yuso, which were small villages in the Basque Country.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Menera

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

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

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

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