Raíces last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Raíces

A Spanish surname meaning "roots" or "origins".

Raíces, 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 Raíces surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Raíces in America

Raíces is the 101247th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Raíces surname appeared 178 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 Raíces.

We can also compare 2010 data for Raíces 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 101247 100663 0.58%
Count 178 166 6.98%
Proportion per 100k 0.06 0.06 0.00%

The history of the last name Raíces

The surname Raices is of Spanish origin and can be traced back to the late 15th century. It is believed to have originated in the region of Galicia, located in the northwestern part of Spain. The name Raices is derived from the Spanish word "raíz," which means "root." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near or worked with roots, perhaps a farmer, forester, or herbalist.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Raices can be found in a historical document from the year 1492, which mentions a certain Juan Raices, a farmer from the village of Pontevedra in Galicia. This document provides valuable insight into the early use of the name and its potential occupation-related origins.

In the 16th century, the name Raices appeared in several church records and local census documents across various parts of Spain, indicating its gradual spread and establishment as a surname. One notable figure bearing this name was Pedro Raices, a Spanish explorer and navigator who accompanied Hernán Cortés on his expedition to Mexico in the early 1500s.

During the 17th century, the name Raices gained further prominence as several individuals with this surname made significant contributions in various fields. Among them was María Raices, a renowned Spanish poet and writer born in 1620 in Seville. Her collection of poems, titled "Raíces del Alma" (Roots of the Soul), became widely acclaimed and celebrated her literary talent.

In the 18th century, a prominent figure named Diego Raices (1705-1782) emerged as a successful businessman and landowner in the city of Cádiz. His wealth and influence allowed him to establish a legacy that endured for generations within his family.

As the centuries progressed, the name Raices continued to be represented across different regions of Spain and eventually spread to other parts of the world through migration and exploration. One notable example is Juan Antonio Raices (1840-1912), a Spanish-born engineer who played a crucial role in the construction of several major infrastructure projects in South America, including the famous Panama Canal.

While the surname Raices has its roots (pun intended) firmly planted in Spain, it has since become a part of the cultural fabric of various countries, carried by individuals who have made their mark in diverse fields and contributed to the rich tapestry of global history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Raíces

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

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 Raíces was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 21.35% 38
Non-Hispanic Black Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 0.00% 0
Hispanic Origin 76.97% 137

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 Raíces has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 21.35% 16.27% 27.01%
Black (S)% (S)% (S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%
American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% 0.00% (S)%
Two or More Races 0.00% (S)% (S)%
Hispanic 76.97% 80.72% -4.76%

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

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

Reference this page

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"Raíces last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on November 22, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/raices-surname-popularity/.

"Raíces last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/raices-surname-popularity/. Accessed 22 November, 2024

Raíces last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/raices-surname-popularity/.

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