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

Ramírez, 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 Ramírez surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ramírez in America

Ramírez is the 138304th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ramírez surname appeared 121 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 Ramírez.

The history of the last name Ramírez

The surname Ramirez is of Spanish origin, originating from the Iberian Peninsula during the Middle Ages. It is a patronymic surname derived from the personal name Ramiro, which itself comes from the Germanic name Raginmīr, composed of the elements "ragin" meaning "counsel" and "mēr" meaning "famous."

Ramirez first appeared in historical records in the 9th century, when it was spelled as Ramírez or Ramíriz. It was a prominent surname among the Spanish nobility and landed gentry, with bearers of the name holding positions of influence and power. One notable early figure was Ramiro I, the first King of Asturias, who reigned from 842 to 850 AD.

The name Ramirez is closely associated with the Reconquista, the centuries-long struggle between Christian and Moorish forces for control of the Iberian Peninsula. Several notable military leaders and conquistadors bore this surname, including Pedro Ramírez de Arellano, a 15th-century knight who participated in the conquest of Granada, and Juan Ramírez de Arellano, a 16th-century explorer and conquistador who accompanied Hernán Cortés in the conquest of Mexico.

Ramirez also has a strong presence in Spanish literature and culture. One of the most famous bearers of the name was Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, the celebrated author of Don Quixote, whose full name was Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra y Ramírez de Saavedra. Another prominent figure was José Ramírez, a renowned 19th-century Spanish luthier and guitar maker whose instruments were highly prized and played by some of the greatest guitarists of the time.

The name Ramirez has also been associated with various places and locations in Spain, such as the town of Ramírez de la Fuente in the province of Soria, and the Ramirez Palace in Guadix, Granada, which dates back to the 16th century.

Throughout history, there have been numerous other notable individuals bearing the surname Ramirez, including Ignacio Ramírez Calzada, a 19th-century Mexican politician and writer; Alejandro Ramírez, a 20th-century Argentinian writer and journalist; and José Ramírez Arellano, a Mexican revolutionary and politician who served as the 37th President of Mexico from 1928 to 1930.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ramírez

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

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 Ramírez 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.

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

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

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