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

Telles, 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 Telles surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Telles in America

Telles is the 6493rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Telles surname appeared 5,230 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Telles.

We can also compare 2010 data for Telles 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 Telles

The surname Telles is of Portuguese origin and can be traced back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Latin word "tellus," meaning "earth" or "land," indicating that the name was likely given to someone who worked the land or owned a significant amount of land.

Telles is a common surname in Portugal, particularly in the northern regions, where it is believed to have originated. The name can also be found in other Portuguese-speaking countries, such as Brazil and Angola, due to the Portuguese colonial influence in these regions.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the surname Telles can be found in the Inquirições de D. Afonso III, a collection of inquiries carried out by King Afonso III of Portugal in the 13th century. This document mentions several individuals with the surname Telles, indicating that the name was already well-established by that time.

In the 14th century, the Telles family played a prominent role in Portuguese history. João Afonso Telles de Menezes, born in 1337, was a powerful nobleman and military leader who served as the Count of Barcelos and later as the Count of Ourém. He was also the father of Nuno Álvares Pereira, one of Portugal's most celebrated national heroes, who led the country's resistance against the Castilian invasion during the 1383-1385 Crisis.

Another notable figure with the surname Telles was Baltasar Telles, a 16th-century Portuguese explorer and navigator. He is credited with being one of the first Europeans to explore and map parts of the coast of Brazil.

During the 15th and 16th centuries, the surname Telles was also associated with several notable figures in the Portuguese colonies. For example, Afonso Telles de Menezes, born in 1530, was a Portuguese colonial administrator who served as the Governor of Portuguese India from 1585 to 1588.

In more recent times, the surname Telles has been carried by several individuals who have achieved success in various fields. Lygia Fagundes Telles, born in 1923, is a renowned Brazilian writer and novelist, known for her works that explore themes of social inequality and the complexities of human relationships.

Another notable figure is Viriato Telles, born in 1919, a former Brazilian footballer who played as a goalkeeper for several clubs, including Fluminense and the Brazilian national team.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Telles

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

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

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

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