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

Rojas, 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 Rojas surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Rojas in America

Rojas is the 285th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Rojas surname appeared 108,421 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 37 people would have the surname Rojas.

We can also compare 2010 data for Rojas 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 Rojas

The surname Rojas originates from Spain and dates back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Spanish word "rojo," meaning red, which suggests that the name was originally given as a nickname to someone with reddish hair or a ruddy complexion.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in various historical documents from the 13th and 14th centuries. One notable example is the appearance of the name in the Libro de la Montería, a hunting manuscript commissioned by King Alfonso XI of Castile in the 14th century.

In the 15th century, the Rojas family gained prominence in Spain, with several members holding influential positions in the court of the Catholic Monarchs, Ferdinand and Isabella. One of the most notable figures was Francisco de Rojas, a Spanish poet and playwright born in 1470, best known for his work "La Celestina."

As the Spanish empire expanded, the surname Rojas spread to various parts of the Americas. In the 16th century, Juan de Rojas, a Spanish conquistador, participated in the conquest of Chile and later became the first governor of the city of Mendoza, Argentina.

Another prominent individual with the surname Rojas was Agustín de Rojas, a Spanish poet and dramatist born in 1572 in Seville. He is renowned for his plays, which often explored themes of honor and morality.

In the 18th century, Juan Manuel de Rosas, a prominent Argentine military officer and politician, played a significant role in the country's history. He served as the governor of Buenos Aires province from 1829 to 1832 and again from 1835 to 1852.

During the 19th century, the Rojas surname gained recognition in various fields. One notable figure was Fernando de Rojas, a Mexican architect and engineer born in 1838, who designed several important buildings in Mexico City, including the Palacio de Bellas Artes.

In the 20th century, Miguel Rojas-Mix, a Chilean writer and literary critic born in 1934, made significant contributions to the study of Latin American literature and culture.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Rojas

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

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

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

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