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

Ruiz-Méndez, 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 Ruiz-Méndez surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ruiz-Méndez in America

Ruiz-Méndez is the 159712th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ruiz-Méndez surname appeared 101 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 Ruiz-Méndez.

The history of the last name Ruiz-Méndez

The surname RUIZMENDEZ is of Spanish origin, originating in the Iberian Peninsula during the medieval period. It is a combination of two elements: the patronymic "Ruiz" derived from the given name Rodrigo, and "Mendez" from the given name Mendo or Menendez.

The name Rodrigo has its roots in the Visigothic name "Roderic" or "Rodric," which means "powerful ruler" or "famous ruler." This name gained popularity during the Reconquista, the period when Christian kingdoms gradually reclaimed territory from the Moors in the Iberian Peninsula.

The name Mendo or Menendez, on the other hand, is believed to have originated from the ancient Iberian language, possibly meaning "valiant" or "brave." It was a common name among the nobility and ruling classes in the northern regions of Spain, particularly in Asturias and Galicia.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname RUIZMENDEZ can be found in the 13th century, when a nobleman named Gonzalo Ruiz Mendez was mentioned in a royal charter issued by King Alfonso X of Castile and León in 1256.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname RUIZMENDEZ, including:

1. Pedro Ruiz Mendez (c. 1450-1510), a Spanish explorer and conquistador who accompanied Christopher Columbus on his second voyage to the Americas in 1493.

2. Juan Ruiz Mendez de Sotomayor (c. 1580-1650), a Spanish military officer and colonial administrator who served as the governor of Chile from 1629 to 1630.

3. Alonso Ruiz Mendez de Silva (c. 1620-1687), a Spanish playwright and poet known for his works in the Golden Age of Spanish literature.

4. María Ruiz Mendez (c. 1670-1745), a Spanish nun and mystic who founded the Order of the Immaculate Conception in Seville.

5. José Ruiz Mendez (c. 1890-1960), a Mexican artist and muralist who was part of the Mexican Muralism movement in the early 20th century.

The surname RUIZMENDEZ has also been associated with various place names in Spain, such as Ruizmendez de la Vega, a small village in the province of Palencia, and Ruizmendez de la Sierra, a municipality in the province of Burgos.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ruiz-Méndez

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Ruiz-Méndez.

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 Ruiz-Méndez 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 Ruiz-Méndez was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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