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

Mesa, 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 Mesa surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Mesa in America

Mesa is the 2656th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Mesa surname appeared 13,566 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 5 people would have the surname Mesa.

We can also compare 2010 data for Mesa 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 Mesa

The surname MESA has its origins in Spain, tracing back to the 15th century. It is derived from the Spanish word "mesa," which means "table" or "plateau." The name likely referred to individuals who lived near or owned land on a flat, elevated area or mesa.

In Spain, the name can be found in historical records from various regions, including Andalusia, Castile, and Aragon. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Libro del Repartimiento de Sevilla, a 13th-century document that recorded the distribution of land and properties in Seville after the Christian conquest.

During the Spanish colonization of the Americas, many individuals bearing the MESA surname traveled to the New World, particularly to Mexico and other parts of Central and South America. The name can be found in colonial records from these regions, often associated with landowners and prominent families.

One notable individual with the MESA surname was Juan de Mesa, a Spanish conquistador who participated in the conquest of Peru alongside Francisco Pizarro in the 16th century. He was born in Seville around 1505 and played a significant role in the subjugation of the Inca Empire.

Another historical figure was Miguel de Mesa, a 17th-century Spanish painter and engraver known for his religious works. He was born in Madrid in 1633 and worked extensively in churches and monasteries throughout Spain.

In the 19th century, Tomás de Mesa y Arteaga was a Spanish military officer and politician who served as the Prime Minister of Spain from 1857 to 1858. He was born in Seville in 1786 and played a crucial role in the transition period between the Spanish monarchy and the establishment of a constitutional government.

The MESA surname can also be found in other parts of Europe, such as Italy and Portugal, where it may have evolved from similar-sounding words or place names. For example, in Italy, the name "Messa" is a variant of MESA and may have been derived from the Latin word "mensa," meaning "table" or "dining table."

Another notable individual with the MESA surname was José Mesa, a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played for several teams, including the Cleveland Indians and the Philadelphia Phillies, from 1987 to 2003. He was born in Puebla, Mexico, in 1966 and was known for his outstanding relief pitching abilities.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Mesa

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

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!