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

Meneses, 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 Meneses surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Meneses in America

Meneses is the 4143rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Meneses surname appeared 8,548 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Meneses.

We can also compare 2010 data for Meneses 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 Meneses

The surname Meneses is a Portuguese and Spanish surname that originated in the Iberian Peninsula during the medieval period. It is derived from the Portuguese and Spanish word "meneses," which refers to the town of Meneses in the province of Valladolid, Spain.

The first recorded use of the surname Meneses dates back to the 12th century, when it appeared in historical records from the Kingdom of Castile. The name was initially borne by members of the noble family that ruled over the town of Meneses and its surrounding lands.

One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Meneses was Tello Pérez de Meneses, a prominent nobleman who lived in the 13th century and served as the Lord of Meneses. He was a prominent figure in the court of King Alfonso X of Castile and León.

In the 14th century, the Meneses family gained prominence in Portugal when Alonso Telles de Meneses, a Portuguese nobleman, became the Count of Barcelos and the Count of Neiva. His descendants played significant roles in the Portuguese court and held important positions in the government and military.

Another notable figure with the surname Meneses was Pedro de Meneses, a 15th-century Portuguese explorer and governor of Portuguese India. He was responsible for establishing Portuguese trading posts in India and played a crucial role in the expansion of the Portuguese Empire in the Indian Ocean region.

During the 16th century, the Meneses family also gained prominence in Spain. One of the most famous individuals with this surname was Alonso de Meneses, a Spanish soldier and military commander who served under King Philip II of Spain. He played a significant role in the Spanish conquest of the Netherlands and was renowned for his military prowess.

Other notable individuals with the surname Meneses include Blasco Núñez Vela, a 16th-century Spanish colonial administrator who served as the first Viceroy of Peru, and Alonso de Meneses y Brochero, a 17th-century Spanish nobleman and military commander who served as the Governor of Panama.

The surname Meneses has been widely dispersed throughout the Iberian Peninsula and the former Spanish and Portuguese colonies due to the historical influence and migrations of these cultures. Today, it remains a prominent surname in countries with significant Spanish and Portuguese heritage, such as Brazil, Mexico, and various nations in Central and South America.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Meneses

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

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

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

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