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 145220th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Rodríguez surname appeared 114 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 Rodriguez originated in Spain during the medieval period. It is a patronymic surname, derived from the given name Rodrigo, which itself is thought to have Germanic origins, possibly from the name Roderick or Roderich. The name Rodrigo was common in Spain during the Middle Ages, particularly after the reconquest of the Iberian Peninsula from the Moors.

Rodriguez is a Hispanicized form of the Latinized name Rodericus, which means "powerful ruler" or "famous power." It was adopted as a surname during the 12th and 13th centuries, when surnames became hereditary in Spain. The earliest recorded instances of the surname Rodriguez can be found in medieval Spanish documents and records.

One of the earliest notable individuals with the surname Rodriguez was Pedro Rodriguez, a Spanish conquistador who accompanied Hernán Cortés in the conquest of Mexico in the 16th century. Another prominent figure was Diego Rodriguez de Silva y Velázquez, the famous Spanish painter who lived from 1599 to 1660 and is renowned for his masterpieces such as "Las Meninas" and "The Surrender of Breda."

In the 17th century, Jerónimo Rodríguez de Valderas was a Spanish composer and organist who contributed significantly to the development of early Spanish Baroque music. Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo, a Portuguese explorer who sailed for Spain, is credited with the first exploration of the West Coast of what is now the United States in 1542-1543.

Another notable individual with the surname Rodriguez is Ventura Rodríguez (1717-1785), a Spanish architect and urban planner who designed numerous buildings in Madrid, including the Royal Palace and the Plaza Mayor. His contributions to Spanish architecture and urban design were significant during the 18th century.

Throughout history, the surname Rodriguez has been widespread across Spain and Latin America due to the Spanish colonization of the Americas. It remains one of the most common surnames in Spanish-speaking countries and among Hispanic populations worldwide.

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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