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

Nuñez, 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 Nuñez surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Nuñez in America

Nuñez is the 242nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Nuñez surname appeared 125,350 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 42 people would have the surname Nuñez.

We can also compare 2010 data for Nuñez 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 Nuñez

The surname Nunez has its origins in Spain and Portugal, derived from the Spanish word "nuño" which means "nun's son." It is believed to have first emerged in the 12th century as a patronymic name, indicating the child of a nun.

During the Middle Ages, it was not uncommon for children born out of wedlock to be given surnames reflecting their parentage or circumstances of birth. The name Nunez likely arose from such situations, where a child was born to a nun and given the surname indicating their maternal connection.

One of the earliest known references to the surname Nunez can be found in the Repartimiento de Sevilla, a record of land distribution in Seville, Spain, following the city's reconquest from the Moors in 1248. This document mentions several individuals bearing the name Nunez, suggesting the surname's widespread use by that time.

In the 14th century, a notable figure named Pedro Nunez de Villavicencio (1320-1380) was a Spanish explorer and cartographer who contributed significantly to the development of navigation techniques. His work on celestial navigation and the use of astronomical instruments greatly influenced future maritime exploration.

Another prominent individual with the surname Nunez was Pedro Nunez de Avendano (1555-1615), a Spanish jurist and writer. He served as a judge in the Royal Chancery of Granada and authored several legal treatises that were influential in their time.

In the realm of literature, Alonso Nunez de Reinoso (1555-1610) was a Spanish poet and dramatist who gained recognition for his works during the Golden Age of Spanish literature. His plays and poems were widely acclaimed and contributed to the cultural renaissance of the era.

Moving to the New World, Vasco Nunez de Balboa (1475-1519) was a Spanish explorer and conquistador who is renowned for being the first European to cross the Isthmus of Panama and catch sight of the Pacific Ocean from the Americas. His expedition led to the exploration and eventual colonization of the region by the Spanish.

One cannot discuss the surname Nunez without mentioning the Portuguese navigator and explorer Pedro Alvares Cabral (1467-1520). Although his surname was Cabral, his mother's surname was Nunez. He is best known for commanding the Portuguese expedition that discovered Brazil in 1500, a pivotal event in the colonization of the Americas.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Nuñez

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

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

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

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