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

Tejano, 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 Tejano surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Tejano in America

Tejano is the 75799th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Tejano surname appeared 254 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 Tejano.

We can also compare 2010 data for Tejano 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 Tejano

The surname Tejano has its origins in Mexico and is derived from the Spanish word "tejano," which means a person or thing from the state of Texas. The word "tejano" itself is derived from the Spanish word "Tejas," which was the name given by the Spanish to the region that later became known as Texas.

The earliest recorded use of the surname Tejano can be traced back to the late 18th century, when the Spanish colonial government in Mexico began granting land grants to settlers in the region of Tejas. These settlers, many of whom were of Mexican or Spanish descent, became known as "tejanos" or "Texans."

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Tejano was José Antonio Tejano, who was born in San Antonio de Bexar (now San Antonio, Texas) in 1782. He was a prominent landowner and rancher in the region and served as a military officer during the Mexican War of Independence.

Another notable individual with the surname Tejano was Juan Nepomuceno Tejano, who was born in Laredo, Texas, in 1810. He was a prominent politician and served as a representative in the Texas Legislature during the Republic of Texas era.

In the late 19th century, the surname Tejano became more widely used as a way for Mexican Americans in Texas to identify themselves as distinct from other Mexican immigrants. One notable individual from this period was Adolfo Tejano, who was born in Brownsville, Texas, in 1876. He was a lawyer and political activist who advocated for the rights of Mexican Americans in Texas.

Other notable individuals with the surname Tejano include Manuel Tejano, who was born in Corpus Christi, Texas, in 1892. He was a renowned educator and advocate for bilingual education in Texas. Additionally, Maria Tejano, who was born in El Paso, Texas, in 1920, was a celebrated writer and poet who explored themes of Mexican American identity and culture in her work.

Overall, the surname Tejano has a rich history that is deeply intertwined with the history of Texas and the Mexican American community in the region. It is a name that has been borne by many notable individuals over the centuries, from landowners and politicians to educators and writers.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Tejano

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

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

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

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