Mesías last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Mesías

An Anglicized form of the Spanish word "Mesías" meaning Messiah or Christ.

Mesías, 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 Mesías surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Mesías in America

Mesías is the 49636th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Mesías surname appeared 423 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 Mesías.

We can also compare 2010 data for Mesías 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 49636 61713 -21.69%
Count 423 304 32.74%
Proportion per 100k 0.14 0.11 24.00%

The history of the last name Mesías

The surname Mesias has its origins in the Spanish and Portuguese languages, with roots dating back to the medieval era. It is derived from the Latin word "Messias," which translates to "Messiah" or "anointed one." This connection suggests that the name may have initially been associated with individuals who had a religious affiliation or a connection to the Christian faith.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Mesias can be found in the 13th century, where it appeared in various historical documents from the Iberian Peninsula. During this time period, the name was often spelled as "Messias" or "Messías," reflecting its Latin origins.

In the 15th century, the Mesias surname gained prominence in Spain and Portugal, particularly among Jewish communities that had converted to Christianity during the Inquisition. It is believed that some Jewish families adopted the name as a way to assimilate into the dominant Christian society while maintaining a connection to their cultural heritage.

One notable figure bearing the Mesias surname was Pedro Mesias de Silva, a Spanish explorer and navigator who lived in the late 15th and early 16th centuries. He is best known for his voyages to the Americas and his role in establishing Spanish settlements in the Caribbean.

Another significant individual with the Mesias surname was Andrés Mesias, a Spanish playwright and poet who lived in the 17th century. His works, which included comedies and religious plays, were widely popular during the Golden Age of Spanish literature.

In the 18th century, the Mesias surname gained recognition in Portugal, where it was associated with several influential families. One such family was the Mesias de Lima dynasty, which produced several notable figures, including João Mesias de Lima, a prominent lawyer and politician who served as a member of the Portuguese parliament in the late 18th century.

As the centuries progressed, the Mesias surname spread beyond the Iberian Peninsula, with individuals bearing the name migrating to various parts of the world, including Latin America, the United States, and other regions with significant Spanish and Portuguese influence.

One notable figure from more recent history was Tomás Mesias, a Chilean politician and diplomat who lived in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs for Chile and played a crucial role in resolving territorial disputes with neighboring countries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Mesías

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

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 Mesías was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 11.11% 47
Non-Hispanic Black Only 3.55% 15
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 20.80% 88
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 2.13% 9
Hispanic Origin 62.41% 264

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

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 11.11% 12.17% -9.11%
Black 3.55% 3.95% -10.67%
Asian and Pacific Islander 20.80% 18.42% 12.14%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% (S)% (S)%
Two or More Races 2.13% (S)% (S)%
Hispanic 62.41% 63.16% -1.19%

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

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Mesías, 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!

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

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

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

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