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

Rodríguez, 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 Rodríguez surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Rodríguez in America

Rodríguez is the 101737th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Rodríguez surname appeared 177 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 Rodríguez.

We can also compare 2010 data for Rodríguez 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 Rodríguez

The surname Rodriguez is of Spanish origin, deriving from the personal name Rodrigo, which itself is derived from the ancient Germanic name Roderick, meaning "famous power." The name was prominently used in the Iberian Peninsula during the Middle Ages.

The earliest recorded use of the surname Rodriguez dates back to the 11th century in the Kingdom of León and the Kingdom of Castile, where it was often associated with members of the nobility or individuals of high social standing. The name's popularity likely stemmed from its association with the Visigothic king Roderic, who ruled in the early 8th century.

One of the earliest known bearers of the surname Rodriguez was Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar, also known as El Cid, a Castilian nobleman and military leader who lived from 1043 to 1099. He played a crucial role in the Reconquista, the Christian military campaigns against the Moors in the Iberian Peninsula.

Another notable figure with the surname Rodriguez was Alonso Rodríguez Santurde, a Spanish explorer and conquistador who participated in the conquest of Mexico alongside Hernán Cortés in the early 16th century. He was among the first Europeans to encounter the Aztec civilization.

In the realm of literature, the 16th-century Spanish poet and playwright Lope Félix de Vega Carpio, known as Lope de Vega (1562-1635), is one of the most celebrated figures with the surname Rodriguez. His prolific literary output significantly influenced the development of Spanish drama and poetry.

The surname Rodriguez also found its way into the Americas during the Spanish colonization of the New World. One notable bearer was Sebastián Rodríguez Cermeño, a Spanish explorer and conquistador who led expeditions in present-day Mexico and the southwestern United States in the late 16th century.

Another prominent figure was Alonso Rodríguez de Pedraza, a Spanish Jesuit priest and missionary who lived from 1589 to 1645. He was instrumental in the evangelization efforts among indigenous populations in colonial Mexico and authored several works on Christian doctrine and indigenous languages.

The surname Rodriguez has since spread worldwide, particularly to countries with historical ties to Spain, such as Mexico, Cuba, and various nations in South America. It remains a prominent surname in many Spanish-speaking communities, reflecting its deep roots in the linguistic and cultural heritage of the Iberian Peninsula.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Rodríguez

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

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

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

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