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 143149th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Rodríguez surname appeared 116 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 RODRIGUEC has its origins in Spain, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Spanish name Rodrigo, which itself has roots in the Germanic name Roderick, meaning "famous ruler." The surname likely emerged as a patronymic, indicating descent from an ancestor named Rodrigo.

During the era of the Reconquista, when Christian kingdoms were retaking control of the Iberian Peninsula from the Moors, RODRIGUEC appeared in various historical records and manuscripts. One notable example is the Codex Calixtinus, a 12th-century manuscript that documented the pilgrimage routes to Santiago de Compostela.

The earliest known individual bearing the surname RODRIGUEC was Juan Rodriguec, a soldier who fought in the Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa in 1212, a pivotal conflict during the Reconquista. Another early record is from the 13th century, mentioning a nobleman named Alonso Rodriguec de Lara, who held lands near the city of Burgos.

In the 15th century, the name was associated with the town of Rodriguec, located in the province of Salamanca. This place name likely influenced the spelling of the surname, and some variants such as Rodrigues emerged during this time.

One of the most famous individuals with the surname RODRIGUEC was Gonzalo Rodriguec de Munébrega, a renowned Spanish explorer and conquistador who was born in 1470 and participated in the conquest of Mexico alongside Hernán Cortés. He played a crucial role in the conquest of Tenochtitlan, the capital of the Aztec Empire.

Another notable figure was Lope Rodriguec de Segura, a 16th-century Spanish poet and playwright, born in Seville in 1515. He was a contemporary of Miguel de Cervantes and is credited with contributing to the development of the Spanish Golden Age theater.

In the 17th century, Diego Rodriguec de Silva y Velázquez, born in 1599, became one of the most celebrated painters of the Spanish Baroque period. His masterpieces, such as "Las Meninas," are considered among the finest works of art in Western civilization.

A century later, José Rodriguec de la Oliva y Navacerrada, born in 1715, was a prominent Spanish military officer and colonial administrator. He served as the Governor of Puerto Rico from 1765 to 1768 and played a crucial role in the island's defense during the Seven Years' War.

Finally, in the 19th century, Francisco Rodriguec Marín, a Spanish philologist and historian, was born in 1855. He made significant contributions to the study of Spanish literature and folklore, publishing numerous works on the subject.

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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