2000
#130,443
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Menesses
A Spanish surname derived from the given name "Menés" and likely referring to a locational origin.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 124 Americans carry the last name Menesses. That puts it at #150,935 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,764,148 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Menesses 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.
Bearers in the US
124
1 in 2,764,148
Census rank
#150,935
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
108
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 108 bearers of the surname Menesses in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150935th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Menesses, the largest self-reported group is White at 50.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (47.2%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Menesses
The surname MENESSES has its origins in the Iberian Peninsula, specifically in Spain and Portugal, and can be traced back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Latin word "mensis," meaning "month," which points to a possible connection with an occupation or duty related to timekeeping or calendar-related tasks.
One of the earliest recorded instances of this surname appears in the 13th-century manuscript "Libro de la Montería" (Book of the Hunt), which was commissioned by King Alfonso XI of Castile. This document lists various individuals with the surname MENESSES, suggesting that the name was already well-established in the region during that time.
In the 15th century, Pedro de MENESSES, a Portuguese nobleman, played a significant role in the exploration and colonization of the Atlantic Ocean. He was appointed the first captain-major of the Portuguese island of São Tomé and Príncipe in 1485.
The MENESSES surname is also associated with several noble families in Spain and Portugal. One notable example is the House of MENESSES, a prominent noble lineage in Portugal that held significant influence during the 15th and 16th centuries. Several members of this family held important positions in the Portuguese court and played a role in the country's history.
Another prominent figure bearing the MENESSES surname was Alonso de MENESSES, a Spanish conquistador and explorer who participated in the conquest of Peru in the 16th century. He served under Francisco Pizarro and played a crucial role in the subjugation of the Inca Empire.
During the 17th century, Jerónimo de MENESSES was a Spanish military officer and diplomat who served as the governor of various Spanish territories, including Panama and Chile. He was known for his efforts in defending Spanish colonies against pirate attacks and indigenous uprisings.
Throughout history, the MENESSES surname has been associated with various notable individuals, including writers, artists, and military figures. Some examples include the 19th-century Portuguese writer Almeida MENESSES, the 20th-century Spanish painter José MENESSES, and the 21st-century Colombian actress and model Paola Rey de MENESSES.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Menesses
Among Census respondents with the surname Menesses, the largest self-reported group is White at 50.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (47.2%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Menesses 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 Menesses surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White50.0% · 54
- Hispanic or Latino47.2% · 51
- Two or more races2.8% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Menesses
Menesses 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
#125,282
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 137
+17 bearers (+14.2%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 5,161 places
2020
#150,935
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
-29 bearers (-21.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 25,653 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #130,443 | 120 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #125,282 | 137 | 0.05 | +17 bearers (+14.2%) | Up 5,161 places |
| 2020 | #150,935 | 108 | 0.04 | -29 bearers (-21.2%) | Down 25,653 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 Menesses 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 | #125,282 | #150,935 | -20.5% |
| Count | 137 | 108 | -21.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -27.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Menesses bearers went from 137 to 108 (-21.2% change). The surname moved down 25,653 positions in the national ranking, going from #125,282 to #150,935.
FAQ
Menesses surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Menesses?
Name Census estimates that about 124 living Americans carry the surname Menesses. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,764,148 residents.
How common is Menesses?
Menesses ranks #150,935 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 108 people with the surname Menesses. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (124), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Menesses.
Has Menesses become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Menesses went from 137 recorded bearers to 108. That is a decrease of 29 (-21.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #125,282 to #150,935.
What does the Census say about the background of Menesses?
Among Census respondents with the surname Menesses, the largest self-reported group is White at 50.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (47.2%) and Two or More Races (2.8%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Menesses in the 2020 Census, accounting for 50.0% (54 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Menesses appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (50.0%), Hispanic (47.2%), Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Menesses (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 Menesses mean?
A Spanish surname derived from the given name "Menés" and likely referring to a locational origin. 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 Menesses (0.04 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 common is the surname Menesses?
Want to know how many people have the last name Menesses? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.