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

Tendilla, 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 Tendilla surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Tendilla in America

Tendilla is the 152628th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Tendilla surname appeared 107 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 Tendilla.

The history of the last name Tendilla

The surname TENDILLA originated in Spain during the medieval period, specifically in the region of Andalusia. It is believed to be derived from the town of Tendilla, located in the province of Guadalajara. The name likely has its roots in the Arabic word "tendil," meaning "tower" or "watchtower," reflecting the influence of the Moorish occupation in the area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name TENDILLA can be found in the Repartimiento de Sevilla, a document dating back to the 13th century that recorded the distribution of lands and properties among the Christian conquerors after the reconquest of Seville from the Moors. This historical record suggests that individuals bearing the surname TENDILLA played a role in the reconquest of the region.

During the 15th century, the TENDILLA name gained prominence with the rise of Íñigo López de Mendoza y Quiñones, 2nd Count of Tendilla (1442-1515). He was a renowned military commander and diplomat who served as the first Spanish governor of the Alhambra in Granada after the surrender of the last Nasrid ruler in 1492. His successful administration and defense of the region earned him great respect and renown.

Another notable figure with the TENDILLA surname was Hernando de Aragón y Tendilla (1500-1575), a Spanish nobleman and military leader who served as the viceroy of Valencia and the captain general of the Kingdom of Aragon. He played a crucial role in suppressing the Germanías revolt, a popular uprising against the nobility and the monarchy in Valencia.

In the 16th century, Pedro de Mendoza y Tendilla (1487-1537) was a Spanish conquistador and the first governor of the Río de la Plata region in present-day Argentina. He led the founding of the city of Buenos Aires in 1536, although the settlement was later abandoned due to conflicts with indigenous tribes and internal strife.

The TENDILLA surname also appeared in literary works, such as the writings of the renowned Spanish playwright and poet Lope de Vega (1562-1635). In his play "El Nuevo Mundo Descubierto por Cristóbal Colón" (The New World Discovered by Christopher Columbus), he mentions a character named "Don Íñigo de Tendilla," further solidifying the historical presence of this surname in Spain.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Tendilla

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

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

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

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