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

Salas, 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 Salas surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Salas in America

Salas is the 513th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Salas surname appeared 65,468 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 22 people would have the surname Salas.

We can also compare 2010 data for Salas 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 Salas

The surname Salas has its origins in Spain, dating back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Spanish word "sala," which means "hall" or "living room." The name is believed to have originated as a locational surname, referring to someone who lived near or worked in a prominent hall or manor house.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Salas can be found in the Cartulario de San Millán de la Cogolla, a 12th-century manuscript from the Kingdom of Navarre. This document mentions a certain "Domingo de Salas" who lived in the village of Salas de los Infantes, located in the province of Burgos.

During the 13th century, the name Salas appeared in various records and charters from the regions of Castile and León. For example, a certain "Gonzalo Martínez de Salas" was mentioned in a document from the city of Valladolid, dated 1267.

The Salas surname is also closely associated with the town of Salas, located in the principality of Asturias. This town was once a significant center of power during the Middle Ages, and it is believed that many individuals who lived or worked in the town adopted the surname Salas.

One of the most notable historical figures with the surname Salas was Alonso de Salas Barbadillo (1581-1635), a Spanish writer and playwright from Madrid. He was known for his satirical works and plays, which often criticized the social and political issues of his time.

Another famous individual with the Salas surname was Pedro de Salas (1584-1667), a Spanish Jesuit mathematician and astronomer. He made significant contributions to the field of astronomy and was involved in the reform of the Gregorian calendar.

In the 19th century, José Venancio López Salas (1803-1873) was a Mexican politician and diplomat who served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs and as the interim President of Mexico for a brief period in 1859.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Salas in the Americas can be traced back to Juan de Salas, a Spanish conquistador who accompanied Hernán Cortés in the conquest of Mexico in the early 16th century.

Lastly, Félix María de Salas y Calvo (1808-1876) was a Spanish writer, historian, and politician who served as the Minister of State and the President of the Congress of Deputies in Spain during the 19th century.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Salas

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

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

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

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