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

Tudela, 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 Tudela surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Tudela in America

Tudela is the 45347th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Tudela surname appeared 472 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 Tudela.

We can also compare 2010 data for Tudela 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 Tudela

The surname Tudela originates from Spain, with origins dating back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Spanish town of Tudela, located in the province of Navarre. The town's name is thought to come from the Latin word "tutela," meaning "protection" or "guardianship," suggesting the town may have been a fortified settlement or under the protection of a powerful noble family.

Tudela was an important town during the Reconquista, the centuries-long struggle between Christian and Moorish forces for control of the Iberian Peninsula. Records from this period, including the Codex Calixtinus, a 12th-century manuscript, mention individuals with the surname Tudela or variations like de Tudela, indicating their connection to the town.

One of the earliest recorded bearers of the surname was Pedro de Tudela, a 12th-century Spanish traveler and author who wrote about his journeys to the Middle East. Another notable figure was Benjamín de Tudela, a 12th-century Jewish traveler and scholar who documented Jewish communities across Europe and Asia in his famous work, "The Itinerary of Benjamin of Tudela."

In the 13th century, the Tudela surname appears in records related to the Spanish conquest of the Balearic Islands, with individuals like Guillermo de Tudela and Pedro de Tudela serving as soldiers and settlers in the newly acquired territories.

During the 15th and 16th centuries, the Tudela surname gained prominence in Spain's colonial endeavors. Juan de Tudela was a Spanish conquistador who participated in the conquest of Mexico alongside Hernán Cortés in the early 16th century. Another notable bearer was Diego de Tudela, a 16th-century Spanish soldier and explorer who accompanied the expedition of Francisco Pizarro to Peru.

In the realm of arts and literature, the Tudela surname is associated with figures like Benjamín de Tudela, a 17th-century Spanish playwright and poet, and Francisco de Tudela, an 18th-century Spanish painter known for his religious works.

As the Spanish Empire expanded, the Tudela surname spread to various parts of the Americas and the Philippines, carried by settlers, soldiers, and administrators who hailed from the Iberian Peninsula.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Tudela

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

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

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

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