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

Menezes, 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 Menezes surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Menezes in America

Menezes is the 21157th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Menezes surname appeared 1,241 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 Menezes.

We can also compare 2010 data for Menezes 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 Menezes

The surname Menezes originated in Portugal and has its roots dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Portuguese word "menino," meaning a young man or boy. This name was likely given as a nickname to someone who was small in stature or youthful in appearance.

Menezes is a locational surname, indicating that the earliest bearers of this name hailed from a specific place or region. One theory suggests that the name originated from the town of Meneses, located in the northern Portuguese district of Viana do Castelo. Another possible origin is the parish of Menezes, situated in the municipality of Alcobaça, in the central region of Portugal.

The earliest recorded instances of the Menezes surname can be traced back to the 13th century. One notable figure was Dom João Afonso de Menezes, a prominent Portuguese nobleman and military commander who lived from around 1232 to 1304. He played a significant role in the conquest of the Algarve region from the Moors during the reign of King Afonso III.

In the 15th century, the Menezes family achieved greater prominence and influence. Duarte de Menezes, who was born around 1414, was a renowned explorer and navigator. He accompanied Vasco da Gama on his historic voyage to India in 1497 and played a crucial role in establishing Portuguese trade routes and colonial settlements in the Indian Ocean region.

Another noteworthy individual was Pedro de Menezes, a 16th-century Portuguese nobleman and military commander. He served as the Governor of Portuguese India from 1551 to 1552 and played a significant role in the expansion and consolidation of Portuguese power in the Indian subcontinent.

The Menezes surname also gained prominence in Brazil, where many Portuguese settlers and their descendants settled during the colonial era. One notable Brazilian figure was Tomás Antônio de Menezes, a 19th-century politician and lawyer who served as the Governor of the state of Sergipe from 1872 to 1873.

Throughout history, the Menezes surname has been associated with nobility, military service, exploration, and politics, reflecting the influential roles played by many individuals bearing this name in the shaping of Portuguese and Brazilian history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Menezes

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

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

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

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