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

Menocal, 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 Menocal surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Menocal in America

Menocal is the 62531st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Menocal surname appeared 320 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 Menocal.

We can also compare 2010 data for Menocal 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 Menocal

The surname Menocal is of Spanish origin, originating from the Iberian Peninsula during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Arabic word "manqal," which means "brazier" or "portable oven." The name likely originated in regions of Spain that were under Moorish rule, where Arabic influences on language and culture were prevalent.

The earliest recorded instances of the Menocal surname can be traced back to the 13th century, with mentions in historical documents from the Kingdom of Aragon. One notable example is the Liber Patrimonii Regis Jacobi, a medieval census record from 1275, which lists individuals with the surname Menocal residing in various parts of Aragon.

During the Reconquista, the period of Christian conquest of Moorish territories in the Iberian Peninsula, the Menocal name spread throughout Spain as families migrated and settled in newly reclaimed lands. The surname also found its way to the Americas during the Spanish colonization of the New World, particularly in regions like Cuba and Mexico.

One of the earliest known bearers of the Menocal surname was Pedro Menocal, a 14th-century nobleman from Aragon who served as a knight in the court of King Pedro IV. Another notable figure was Juan Menocal y Sánchez (1538-1612), a Spanish conquistador who participated in the conquest of Mexico under Hernán Cortés.

In the 19th century, Aniceto Menocal y Hernández (1826-1900), a Cuban military officer and politician, played a significant role in the Cuban War of Independence against Spanish rule. His son, Mario García Menocal (1866-1941), became the third President of Cuba, serving from 1913 to 1921.

Another prominent individual with the Menocal surname was Enrique Menocal (1940-2020), a Cuban-American architect and urban planner known for his work on major projects in Miami, including the design of the Miami International Airport.

Variations of the surname's spelling include Menocar, Menocart, and Menocale, reflecting regional differences in pronunciation and scribal practices throughout history. The name has also been associated with various place names, such as Menocal in the province of Huesca, Spain, which may have influenced its geographic distribution.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Menocal

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

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

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

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