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

Sáenz, 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 Sáenz surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Sáenz in America

Sáenz is the 1029th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Sáenz surname appeared 33,787 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 11 people would have the surname Sáenz.

We can also compare 2010 data for Sáenz 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 Sáenz

The surname Saenz has its origins in Spain, where it first emerged in the medieval period. It is a patronymic name derived from the personal name Sancho, which itself has roots in the Latin name Sanctius, meaning "holy" or "saintly."

In its earliest forms, the name was spelled Sanchez, reflecting its patronymic nature as "son of Sancho." Over time, regional variations in spelling emerged, with the form Saenz becoming prevalent in certain areas of Spain, particularly in the northern regions.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Saenz can be found in medieval Spanish documents from the 13th century, where it appears in records of land ownership and legal transactions. This suggests that the name was well-established among the Spanish nobility and landowners of that era.

As the name spread across Spain and into other Spanish-speaking regions, it took on various forms, such as Sáenz, Sáinz, and Sáintz. These variations were often influenced by local dialects and pronunciation patterns.

Notable historical figures bearing the surname Saenz include Pedro Saenz de Vizmanos, a Spanish military officer and colonial administrator who served as the governor of Puerto Rico in the early 19th century (1806-1809). Another prominent individual was Miguel Saenz, a Mexican politician and diplomat who served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs in the late 19th century (1879-1880).

In the realm of literature, the name is associated with the Spanish writer and philosopher Pedro Sáinz Rodríguez (1897-1986), who was a prominent figure in the Generation of '27 and a member of the Royal Spanish Academy.

Moving to the Americas, one notable bearer of the name was Luis Muñoz Marín Sáenz (1898-1980), a Puerto Rican poet, journalist, and politician who served as the first democratically elected governor of Puerto Rico.

Another historical figure with the surname Saenz was María Felipa Sáenz de Vizmanos (1779-1860), a Venezuelan revolutionary and companion of Simón Bolívar, known as "la primera dama de la independencia" (the first lady of independence) for her role in the liberation struggles of Venezuela and Colombia.

These are just a few examples of the many individuals throughout history who have borne the surname Saenz, reflecting its deep roots in Spanish and Latin American cultures, as well as its association with various historical figures and events.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Sáenz

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

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

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

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