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

Tamez, 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 Tamez surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Tamez in America

Tamez is the 4492nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Tamez surname appeared 7,894 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Tamez.

We can also compare 2010 data for Tamez 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 Tamez

The surname Tamez has its roots in the Basque region of northern Spain and southern France. It is believed to have originated from the Basque word "tamezu," meaning "bramble" or "wild rose." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near or was associated with these thorny plants.

The earliest recorded instances of the Tamez surname date back to the 13th century in the Basque Country. In ancient manuscripts and records, the name appeared with various spellings such as "Tamezu," "Taméz," and "Tamés." These variations were likely due to regional dialects and the evolution of language over time.

During the Middle Ages, the Tamez name was found in several local documents and records in the Basque provinces of Álava, Vizcaya, and Guipúzcoa. One notable mention was in a land grant issued by the King of Navarre in 1287, which referred to a landowner named Juan Tamez.

As the Basque people migrated and settled in different parts of Spain and beyond, the Tamez surname spread to other regions. In the 16th century, the name appeared in historical records from the Spanish colonies in the Americas, particularly in Mexico and parts of Central America.

Among the earliest known individuals with the Tamez surname were:

1. García Tamez (c. 1450-1520), a Basque nobleman and landowner in the province of Álava.
2. Martín Tamez (c. 1525-1589), a Basque explorer and navigator who accompanied Spanish expeditions to the New World.
3. Isabel Tamez (c. 1570-1635), a prominent figure in the settlement of Nuevo León, Mexico, and one of the first Spanish women to establish a ranch in the region.
4. Juan Tamez de Mendoza (c. 1620-1687), a Spanish colonial administrator and governor of the province of Tabasco, Mexico.
5. Pedro Tamez y Peña (c. 1685-1758), a Basque-Mexican landowner and rancher who played a significant role in the development of the Rio Grande Valley region in what is now South Texas.

Throughout history, the Tamez surname has been associated with various professions and walks of life, including landowners, merchants, explorers, and government officials, both in Spain and its former colonies.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Tamez

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

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

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

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