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 98982nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Rodríguez surname appeared 183 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.

The history of the last name Rodríguez

The surname RODRIGUEZC originated in Spain and Portugal during the medieval period, likely derived from the Germanic name "Roderick" or the Spanish name "Rodrigo." It emerged as a patronymic surname, indicating a familial connection to an ancestor named Rodrigo or Roderick.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in Spanish and Portuguese historical documents dating back to the 12th and 13th centuries. One notable example is Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar, also known as El Cid Campeador (c. 1043-1099), a revered Castilian nobleman and military leader who played a crucial role in the Reconquista.

Over the centuries, the surname has been subject to various spellings, such as Rodríguez, Rodrígues, and Rodrigues, reflecting regional linguistic variations. In some cases, the name was associated with specific places, leading to compound surnames like Rodríguez de la Fuente or Rodríguez del Castillo.

Prominent figures bearing the RODRIGUEZC surname include:

1. Joaquín Rodríguez (1630-1703), a Spanish painter known for his religious works and portraits during the Baroque period.

2. José Protasio Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda (1861-1896), a revered Philippine national hero, polymath, and writer, who used the surname Rizal as an adaptation of his mother's maiden name, Rodríguez.

3. Amalia Rodrigues (1920-1999), a renowned Portuguese fado singer and actress, widely regarded as the "Queen of Fado."

4. César Rodríguez (1920-1995), a Mexican boxer and two-time world champion in the bantamweight and featherweight divisions.

5. Antonio Rodríguez Núñez (1932-2018), a Cuban revolutionary and politician who served as a diplomat and ambassador for several decades.

The RODRIGUEZC surname has spread worldwide due to Spanish and Portuguese exploration, colonization, and migration patterns, becoming prevalent in various countries, including Latin America, the United States, and former Spanish and Portuguese territories.

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.

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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