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

Neira, 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 Neira surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Neira in America

Neira is the 14139th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Neira surname appeared 2,125 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 Neira.

We can also compare 2010 data for Neira 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 Neira

The surname Neira is believed to have originated in Spain, particularly in the regions of Galicia and Asturias. It is derived from the Spanish word "neiro," which means "naranjal" or orange grove. This suggests that the name may have been associated with individuals who lived near or owned orange groves.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Neira can be traced back to the 12th century. One notable example is found in the Tumbo de Sobrado, an ancient manuscript from the Monastery of Santa María de Sobrado in Galicia, which mentions individuals with the surname Neira.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Neira. One such person was Pedro Neira Arroyo (1915-1992), a Spanish politician and member of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE). He served as the Minister of Labor in the first democratic government after the Spanish transition to democracy.

Another prominent figure was Felisa Neira (1836-1893), a Spanish writer and educator who played a significant role in promoting women's education and advocating for their rights in the 19th century. Her works, such as "La Mujer" (The Woman), shed light on the challenges faced by women during that time.

In the realm of sports, Justo Neira (1949-2010) was a renowned Spanish footballer who played as a defender for various clubs, including Celta Vigo and Real Madrid. He also represented the Spanish national team and was part of the squad that participated in the 1978 FIFA World Cup.

The surname Neira can also be found in other Spanish-speaking countries, such as Argentina and Colombia, likely due to migration and the spread of the name over time. One notable individual from Argentina was Carlos Neira (1932-2017), a prominent architect known for his modern and innovative designs, including the Banco de la Ciudad building in Buenos Aires.

Additionally, there are records of the surname Neira appearing in various historical documents and archives, such as the Archivo Histórico Nacional in Spain, which houses a vast collection of documents dating back to the Middle Ages.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Neira

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

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

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

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