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

Nañez, 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 Nañez surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Nañez in America

Nañez is the 15827th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Nañez surname appeared 1,839 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Nañez.

We can also compare 2010 data for Nañez 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 Nañez

The surname NANEZ has its origins in Spain, originating during the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Spanish word "nana," which means "little girl" or "small child." This suggests that the name may have initially been a descriptive nickname or patronymic.

The earliest recorded instances of the NANEZ surname can be found in various historical documents and records from the 13th and 14th centuries in regions such as Castile, Andalusia, and Aragon. It is possible that the name was initially associated with certain families or lineages in these areas.

One notable mention of the NANEZ name appears in the chronicles of Alfonso X, the King of Castile and León, who reigned from 1252 to 1284. The chronicles refer to a certain Rodrigo Nanez, a nobleman and military leader who participated in the Reconquista against the Moors.

During the 15th century, the NANEZ surname gained further prominence with the birth of Juan Nanez Valdés (1470-1538), a Spanish Renaissance humanist and philosopher. He was a prominent figure in the intellectual circles of his time and authored several influential works on ethics and moral philosophy.

In the 16th century, Pedro Nanez Vela (1525-1592) was a notable Spanish conquistador and explorer who participated in the conquest of Peru alongside Francisco Pizarro. He is known for his role in the Battle of Las Salinas in 1538 and later served as the governor of several provinces in present-day Peru and Bolivia.

Another notable figure bearing the NANEZ surname was María Nanez de Almeida (1560-1628), a Portuguese noble and landowner. She is remembered for her philanthropic efforts and contributions to the development of education and infrastructure in various regions of Portugal.

In the 18th century, Antonio Nanez Fernández (1725-1802) was a Spanish painter and engraver known for his religious works and portraits. He was a prominent figure in the artistic circles of Madrid and served as a court painter to King Charles III.

Throughout its history, the NANEZ surname has also been associated with various place names and localities in Spain, such as Navaez, Navalcarnero, and Navajas, which may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the name in different regions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Nañez

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

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

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

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