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

Raposas, 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 Raposas surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Raposas in America

Raposas is the 135593rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Raposas surname appeared 124 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 Raposas.

The history of the last name Raposas

The surname Raposas has its origins in Portugal, dating back to the 16th century. It is derived from the Portuguese word "raposa," which means "fox." This suggests that the name may have originated as a nickname or descriptive name for someone with fox-like characteristics, such as being sly, cunning, or having reddish hair.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Raposas can be found in a document from the Arquivo Nacional da Torre do Tombo, the national archives of Portugal, dated 1563. This document mentions a certain "João Raposas" from the town of Covilhã, located in the Beira Baixa region.

In the late 16th century, a prominent figure named Diogo Raposas was a Portuguese soldier and explorer who participated in the colonization efforts in Brazil. He was born around 1550 and played a significant role in the early settlement of the captaincy of Pernambuco.

During the 17th century, the name Raposas appeared in various records across Portugal. For instance, in the parish records of São Julião do Tojal, located in the Lisbon region, there are entries for baptisms and marriages involving individuals with the surname Raposas.

In the 18th century, the name Raposas was associated with a notable Portuguese family from the Alentejo region. This family owned several estates and vineyards in the area and played an influential role in the local community. One of the most prominent members was Manuel Raposas (1725-1798), who served as a magistrate and held various positions in the local administration.

Another notable figure with the surname Raposas was António Raposas (1810-1885), a Portuguese writer and journalist from the city of Porto. He was a prolific author and contributed to several literary journals and newspapers during the 19th century.

The surname Raposas has also been found in historical records from other Portuguese-speaking regions, such as Brazil and the former Portuguese colonies in Africa. However, the majority of the earliest records can be traced back to Portugal itself.

While the name Raposas is not among the most common surnames in Portugal today, it remains an integral part of the country's rich cultural heritage and reflects the diverse origins and meanings of Portuguese surnames.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Raposas

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

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

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

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