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

Muniz, 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 Muniz surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Muniz in America

Muniz is the 1147th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Muniz surname appeared 30,695 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 10 people would have the surname Muniz.

We can also compare 2010 data for Muniz 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 Muniz

The surname Muniz originates from Spain and Portugal, emerging in the medieval period around the 12th century. It is derived from the Latin name "Munnio" or "Munnius", which was a personal name used in the Iberian Peninsula during the Roman era. This name is believed to have its roots in the Germanic word "mund", meaning "protector" or "guardian".

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Muniz can be found in the Cartulario de Cardeña, a medieval manuscript from the 10th century, which mentions a person named "Munio Nuniz". This suggests that the surname was already in use by that time, possibly evolving from the personal name Munio.

In the 13th century, the name Muniz appeared in various official documents and records, such as the Libro Becerro de las Behetrías de Castilla, which listed landowners and their properties. One notable individual from this time period was Pedro Martínez Muniz, a Spanish military leader who fought against the Moors in the Reconquista.

The Muniz surname has also been associated with several notable figures throughout history. In the 15th century, Fernán Muniz, a Spanish poet and courtier, was born in Valladolid and served under King Juan II of Castile. Another important figure was Pedro Muniz Godoy, a 16th-century Spanish explorer and conquistador who accompanied Hernán Cortés in the conquest of Mexico.

During the 17th century, Antonio Muniz Hidalgo, a Spanish painter and engraver, gained recognition for his religious art and portraits. In the 18th century, José Muñiz Ramos, a Spanish priest and historian, wrote extensively about the history of the Canary Islands.

Another noteworthy individual was Francisco Muñiz Miranda, a 19th-century Cuban writer and journalist who played a significant role in the Cuban independence movement against Spanish colonial rule. He was born in 1828 and became a prominent figure in the fight for Cuban freedom.

While the Muniz surname has its roots in Spain and Portugal, it has since spread to other parts of the world, including Latin America and beyond, due to migration and cultural exchange.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Muniz

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

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

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

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