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

Mexican, 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 Mexican surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Mexican in America

Mexican is the 134712th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Mexican surname appeared 125 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 Mexican.

We can also compare 2010 data for Mexican 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 Mexican

The surname "Mexican" is derived from the word "Mexico", which refers to the country located in North America. The origin of the name can be traced back to the 16th century, when the Spanish conquistadors arrived in the region and established colonies there.

One of the earliest known references to the surname "Mexican" can be found in the chronicles of Bernal Díaz del Castillo, a Spanish soldier and chronicler who accompanied Hernán Cortés during the conquest of Mexico. In his writings, Díaz del Castillo mentioned several individuals with the surname "Mexican", indicating that it was already in use among the local population at that time.

During the colonial period, the surname "Mexican" was commonly used by individuals of mixed Spanish and indigenous ancestry, known as "mestizos". It was a way for them to identify themselves as being from the region, while also acknowledging their Spanish heritage.

One notable individual with the surname "Mexican" was Juan Mexican, a prominent artist and painter who lived in the 17th century. His works, which depicted scenes from daily life in New Spain (as Mexico was then known), are considered important examples of colonial Mexican art.

In the 19th century, after Mexico gained independence from Spain, the surname "Mexican" continued to be used by individuals of various backgrounds. One famous bearer of the name was Ignacio Mexican, a military leader who fought in the Mexican-American War (1846-1848).

Another notable individual with the surname "Mexican" was María Mexican (1860-1932), a pioneering educator and women's rights activist. She established several schools for girls and worked tirelessly to promote education and equal opportunities for women in Mexico.

Throughout the centuries, the surname "Mexican" has been associated with individuals from various walks of life, including artists, writers, politicians, and military leaders. It remains a prominent surname in Mexico and among Mexican diaspora communities around the world, serving as a reminder of the rich cultural heritage and history of the country.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Mexican

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

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

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

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