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

Saldaña, 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 Saldaña surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Saldaña in America

Saldaña is the 1015th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Saldaña surname appeared 34,434 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 12 people would have the surname Saldaña.

We can also compare 2010 data for Saldaña 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 Saldaña

The surname Saldana is of Spanish origin, deriving from the place name Saldaña, a town in the province of Palencia in northern Spain. The name is believed to have originated in the 11th century during the Reconquista, the period when Christian forces sought to reclaim territories from the Moors.

The town of Saldaña was an important strategic location during this time, and it is likely that the surname was initially adopted by individuals who hailed from or had connections to this area. The name is thought to be derived from the Latin word "saltus," meaning a forest or wooded area, suggesting that the town was situated in a forested region.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Saldana surname can be found in the Becerro de las Behetrías, a medieval census document compiled in the 14th century during the reign of King Pedro I of Castile. This document lists several individuals bearing the Saldana surname, indicating the name's established presence in the region by that time.

During the 15th century, the Saldana family played a significant role in the Spanish court. Diego Gómez de Sandoval, Count of Saldaña, born in 1385 and died in 1455, was a prominent nobleman and military leader who served under King Juan II of Castile. His descendants continued to hold influential positions in the Spanish nobility for several generations.

Another notable figure with the Saldana surname was Rodrigo de Saldaña, a Spanish conquistador who participated in the conquest of Mexico alongside Hernán Cortés in the early 16th century. Saldaña played a pivotal role in several battles against the Aztec forces and was later granted encomiendas (land grants) in recognition of his service.

In the realm of literature, the 16th-century Spanish poet and playwright Diego de Saldaña is remembered for his contributions to the Golden Age of Spanish literature. His works, which included plays and poetry, were highly regarded during his lifetime and helped to establish the Saldana name in the cultural sphere.

Moving forward to the 19th century, José María Saldaña y Sicilia, born in 1840 and died in 1905, was a prominent Spanish politician and lawyer who served as the Minister of Justice and later as the President of the Congress of Deputies, the lower house of the Spanish parliament.

Throughout its history, the Saldana surname has been associated with various notable individuals, reflecting its deep roots in Spanish culture and society. While its origins can be traced back to a specific town in northern Spain, the name has since spread across the globe, carried by the descendants of those who bore it during the tumultuous eras of Spain's past.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Saldaña

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!