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

Nieves, 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 Nieves surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Nieves in America

Nieves is the 118185th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Nieves surname appeared 147 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 Nieves.

We can also compare 2010 data for Nieves 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 Nieves

The surname NIEVEZ is of Spanish origin, with roots tracing back to the Iberian Peninsula in the medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Spanish word "nieve," which translates to "snow" in English. This connection suggests that the name may have originated from a geographic location associated with snowy or mountainous regions.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the NIEVEZ surname can be found in the 15th century, when it appeared in historical documents from the region of Castile, Spain. It is speculated that the name may have been adopted by families residing in areas with frequent snowfall, possibly in the mountainous regions of the Sierra Nevada or the Pyrenees.

In the 16th century, during the Spanish colonization of the Americas, several individuals bearing the NIEVEZ surname were among the early settlers and explorers who ventured to the New World. Notable figures from this period include Juan de NIEVEZ, a conquistador who participated in the conquest of Peru in the 1530s, and Francisca NIEVEZ, a woman from Seville who immigrated to Mexico in 1568.

Throughout the 17th and 18th centuries, the NIEVEZ surname continued to appear in various regions of Spain, particularly in the provinces of Andalusia and Extremadura. During this time, the name was also associated with several notable individuals, such as Pedro NIEVEZ, a Jesuit missionary who traveled to South America in the late 17th century, and María NIEVEZ, a renowned painter from Seville who lived in the early 18th century.

As the Spanish Empire expanded, the NIEVEZ surname also found its way to other parts of Europe and the Americas. In the 19th century, José NIEVEZ, a military officer from Spain, served in the Spanish-American War and later settled in Cuba. Additionally, Miguel NIEVEZ, a prominent writer and journalist from Madrid, published several works in the late 19th century.

Throughout its history, the NIEVEZ surname has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including explorers, missionaries, artists, and military figures. While the name's origins can be traced back to Spain, its presence has extended to various regions around the world, reflecting the far-reaching influence of Spanish culture and exploration.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Nieves

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

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

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

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