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

Quales, 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 Quales surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Quales in America

Quales is the 130610th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Quales surname appeared 130 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 Quales.

We can also compare 2010 data for Quales 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 Quales

The surname Quales has its origins in Spain, tracing back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Spanish word "cual," meaning "which" or "what," possibly indicating a questioning or inquisitive nature associated with early bearers of the name.

In the early 1500s, records show the name Quales appearing in various regions of Spain, including Andalusia, Castile, and Aragon. Some of the earliest documented references can be found in local parish records and municipal archives from this era.

One notable historical figure bearing the Quales surname was Juan Quales, a Spanish explorer who accompanied Hernán Cortés on his expedition to Mexico in the early 16th century. Juan Quales is mentioned in several accounts of the conquest of the Aztec Empire, though little is known about his specific role or contributions.

In the 17th century, the name Quales appeared in various spellings, such as Quales, Quallas, andQualles, reflecting the fluidity of naming conventions during that time. One prominent individual from this period was María Quales, a renowned painter who lived in Seville between 1620 and 1688. Her works, primarily religious in nature, can still be found in several churches and museums across Spain.

Moving into the 18th century, the Quales surname gained further recognition with the birth of Pedro Quales y Martínez (1718-1792), a renowned Spanish architect who played a significant role in the development of the neoclassical style in Spain. Some of his most notable works include the Palacio de las Dueñas in Seville and the Iglesia de San Nicolás in Madrid.

Another historical figure of note was General Francisco Quales (1775-1849), a military leader who served in the Spanish Army during the Peninsular War against Napoleon's forces. He was credited with several key victories and later became a respected military strategist and tactician.

As the centuries progressed, the Quales surname continued to be present across various regions of Spain, with scattered instances of individuals bearing this name appearing in historical records and documents.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Quales

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

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

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

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