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

Navajo, 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 Navajo surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Navajo in America

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

The Navajo 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 Navajo.

We can also compare 2010 data for Navajo 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 Navajo

The surname "Navajo" is derived from the name of the Navajo people, a Native American tribe that traditionally inhabited the southwestern United States, particularly in the areas now known as Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. The Navajo people refer to themselves as the Diné, which means "the people" in their language.

The origin of the word "Navajo" can be traced back to the late 18th century when it was first recorded by Spanish settlers in the region. It is believed to be a borrowing from the Tewa language, spoken by the Pueblo people who lived in the same area. The Tewa word "Navahu" or "Navajó" referred to the Navajo people and meant "those who are planted" or "those who have cultivated crops."

One of the earliest recorded references to the name "Navajo" can be found in the journal of Francisco Atanasio Domínguez, a Spanish military officer who led an expedition through the Southwest in 1776. He referred to the Navajo people as "Navajos" or "Apaches de Navajó" in his writings.

The name "Navajo" gained wider recognition in the early 19th century when it was used by American explorers, traders, and government officials to refer to the Navajo people. Some notable individuals with the surname "Navajo" include:

1. Manuelito Navajo (c. 1818-1893), a prominent Navajo leader and warrior who played a significant role in the Navajo Wars against the United States.
2. Hosteen Klah Navajo (c. 1867-1937), a respected Navajo medicine man and spiritual leader.
3. Juanita Navajo (1901-1979), a Navajo painter and weaver known for her contributions to the preservation of Navajo art and culture.
4. Robert Navajo (1920-2004), a Navajo Code Talker who served in the United States Marine Corps during World War II, using the Navajo language as a code to transmit secret communications.
5. Peterson Navajo (1922-2000), a Navajo artist and painter known for his depictions of traditional Navajo life and culture.

It is important to note that while the surname "Navajo" is derived from the name of the Navajo people, it is not a traditional Navajo surname. Many Navajo individuals adopted European-style surnames during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, often taking on surnames that reflected their clan affiliations, geographic locations, or personal characteristics.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Navajo

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

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

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

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