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

Sánchez-Mendoza, 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 Sánchez-Mendoza surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Sánchez-Mendoza in America

Sánchez-Mendoza is the 104602nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Sánchez-Mendoza surname appeared 171 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 Sánchez-Mendoza.

The history of the last name Sánchez-Mendoza

The surname SANCHEZMENDOZA is a compound surname that originated in Spain during the medieval period. It is composed of the two separate surnames Sanchez and Mendoza, both of which have distinct origins and meanings.

The first part, Sanchez, is a patronymic surname derived from the Spanish given name Sancho, which itself is a medieval Spanish form of the Latin name Sanctius. Sanctius is derived from the Latin word "sanctus," meaning "holy" or "sainted." The suffix "-ez" was a common patronymic ending in Spanish surnames, indicating "son of." Thus, Sanchez would have originally referred to the son of someone named Sancho.

The second part, Mendoza, is a locative surname that likely originated from the town of Mendoza in the province of Álava, in the Basque region of northern Spain. The name Mendoza is thought to come from the Basque words "mendi," meaning "mountain," and "otza," meaning "cold," suggesting a connection to a mountainous or high-altitude location.

In the 13th century, the name Mendoza rose to prominence with the illustrious Mendoza family, a noble Spanish lineage that produced several notable figures. One of the earliest recorded bearers of the Mendoza name was Íñigo López de Mendoza, a 13th-century Castilian nobleman and military leader who fought in the Reconquista against the Moors.

Another notable figure was Pedro González de Mendoza (1428-1495), a Spanish cardinal and statesman who served as the Archbishop of Toledo and the Grand Cardinal of Spain under King Ferdinand II of Aragon and Queen Isabella I of Castile.

In the 16th century, the explorer Juan de Sanchez-Mendoza (c. 1500-1570) accompanied Hernán Cortés on his expeditions to Mexico and is credited with being one of the first Europeans to encounter and describe the practice of human sacrifice among the Aztecs.

During the Spanish colonization of the Americas, the compound surname SANCHEZMENDOZA likely emerged as a result of intermarriage between individuals bearing the separate surnames Sanchez and Mendoza. It would have then been carried by their descendants to various parts of the Spanish colonial empire.

One notable bearer of the combined surname was José de Sanchezmendoza (1640-1711), a Spanish military officer and explorer who served as the Governor of New Mexico from 1701 to 1707.

Throughout history, the surname SANCHEZMENDOZA has been associated with individuals from various walks of life, including nobility, clergy, explorers, and military leaders, reflecting its Spanish origins and the widespread dissemination of Spanish culture and influence during the colonial era.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Sánchez-Mendoza

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Sánchez-Mendoza.

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 Sánchez-Mendoza 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 Sánchez-Mendoza was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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