Menor last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Menor

A surname derived from the Spanish word for "younger" or "minor".

Menor, 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 Menor surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Menor in America

Menor is the 30390th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Menor surname appeared 769 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 Menor.

We can also compare 2010 data for Menor 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 30390 29325 3.57%
Count 769 760 1.18%
Proportion per 100k 0.26 0.28 -7.41%

The history of the last name Menor

The surname Menor is of Spanish origin, tracing its roots back to the medieval era in the Iberian Peninsula. It is derived from the Spanish word "menor," meaning "younger" or "minor." This suggests that the name may have originally been used to distinguish between siblings or family members, with the younger individual being referred to as "el menor" (the younger one).

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Menor surname can be found in the Catálogo de Pasajeros a Indias, a historical record of passengers traveling to the Spanish colonies in the Americas during the 16th and 17th centuries. This document mentions individuals with the surname Menor who embarked on voyages to the New World, likely seeking new opportunities or participating in the colonization efforts.

In the 15th century, there are records of a notable figure named Pedro Menor, a Spanish scholar and clergyman who served as the Bishop of Calahorra from 1456 to 1463. His legacy is preserved in various ecclesiastical archives and historical accounts of that period.

During the 16th century, the Menor surname gained prominence with the birth of Francisco Menor (1516-1587), a renowned Spanish theologian and philosopher. He was a leading figure of the Renaissance and contributed significantly to the intellectual discourse of his time through his writings and teachings.

In the 17th century, Juan Menor (1620-1685) emerged as a prominent artist from Seville, Spain. His works, primarily religious paintings and altarpieces, can be found in various churches and museums throughout Spain, showcasing his talent and the artistic traditions of the Baroque era.

The 19th century saw the birth of another notable individual bearing the Menor surname, Manuel Menor (1835-1901). He was a Spanish politician and statesman who served as the Prime Minister of Spain from 1892 to 1893, playing a significant role in the country's political landscape during that period.

Throughout history, the Menor surname has been associated with various locations in Spain, particularly in regions such as Andalusia, Castile, and Aragon, where it has deep roots. The name has also spread to other parts of the world through Spanish migration and the establishment of Spanish colonies, contributing to its global distribution.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Menor

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

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 Menor was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 24.45% 188
Non-Hispanic Black Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 52.28% 402
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 7.67% 59
Hispanic Origin 14.95% 115

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 Menor has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 24.45% 26.58% -8.35%
Black (S)% (S)% (S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander 52.28% 54.47% -4.10%
American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)% (S)%
Two or More Races 7.67% 5.00% 42.15%
Hispanic 14.95% 12.89% 14.80%

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

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

Reference this page

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If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Menor last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on December 22, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/menor-surname-popularity/.

"Menor last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/menor-surname-popularity/. Accessed 22 December, 2024

Menor last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/menor-surname-popularity/.

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