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

Muñoz, 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 Muñoz surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Muñoz in America

Muñoz is the 168th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Muñoz surname appeared 158,483 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 54 people would have the surname Muñoz.

We can also compare 2010 data for Muñoz 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 Muñoz

The surname Munoz originates from Spain and dates back to the 12th century. It is a patronymic name derived from the personal name Muño, which is a Spanish form of the Latin name Munnius. The name Munnius is believed to have its roots in the Germanic word "munt," meaning protection or defense.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Munoz can be found in medieval Spanish documents and records. One notable example is Pedro Munoz, a prominent military leader who served under King Alfonso VIII of Castile in the late 12th century. He played a crucial role in the Reconquista, the Christian conquest of the Iberian Peninsula from the Moors.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in the "Libro de las Behetrías," a historical document detailing the landholdings and taxation systems in the kingdom of Castile. This document mentions several individuals with the surname Munoz, indicating their presence in various regions of Spain at that time.

The surname Munoz is often associated with the town of Muñoz, located in the province of Burgos, Spain. It is believed that the town's name may have originated from an early bearer of the Munoz surname who held significant influence or landholdings in the area.

Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals with the surname Munoz:

1. Pedro Munoz Seca (1881-1936), a renowned Spanish playwright and author, known for his comedic works and contributions to the Spanish theater.
2. Joaquin Munoz Pina (1564-1628), a Spanish painter and sculptor who worked in the Mannerist and Baroque styles.
3. Jacinto Munoz y Rengel (1565-1628), a Spanish Jesuit priest and missionary who established missions in the Philippines and Japan.
4. Lucia Munoz (c. 1520-1598), a Spanish noblewoman and philanthropist, known for her support of educational and charitable initiatives.
5. Mariano Munoz de Las Posadas (1843-1905), a Mexican politician and diplomat who served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs for Mexico in the late 19th century.

The surname Munoz has also spread to other parts of the world, particularly Latin America, due to Spanish colonization and migration. It has become a common surname in countries like Mexico, Argentina, and Colombia, among others.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Muñoz

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

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

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

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