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

Vanegas, 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 Vanegas surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Vanegas in America

Vanegas is the 4756th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Vanegas surname appeared 7,444 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 Vanegas.

We can also compare 2010 data for Vanegas 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 Vanegas

The surname Vanegas originated from Spain, and its earliest records can be traced back to the 12th century. The name is believed to have derived from the Spanish word "vega," which means a fertile plain or valley, particularly those found near rivers.

During the Reconquista, a period when Christian kingdoms in the Iberian Peninsula fought to reclaim territories from the Moors, many place names were established. It is likely that the surname Vanegas was originally a toponymic name, referring to someone who lived in or near a particular vega or valley.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Vanegas can be found in the "Libro de las Behetrías de Castilla," a document from the 14th century that cataloged the villages and landholdings in the Crown of Castile. The document mentions individuals with the surname Vanegas residing in various regions of Castile.

In the 15th century, a notable figure with the surname Vanegas was Pedro Vanegas de Córdoba, a Spanish conquistador and explorer. He was born in Córdoba, Spain, around 1470 and participated in the conquest of the Americas, serving under Hernán Cortés in the conquest of Mexico.

Another prominent individual with the surname Vanegas was Alejandro Vanegas Arroyo, a Spanish poet and playwright who lived in the 16th century. He was born in Toledo, Spain, around 1520 and gained recognition for his literary works, including plays and religious poetry.

In the 17th century, Alonso Vanegas Rendón, a Spanish soldier and military commander, played a significant role in the Spanish conquest of the Philippines. He was born in Extremadura, Spain, around 1590 and served as the Governor of the Philippine Islands from 1645 to 1648.

The surname Vanegas was also present in the Spanish colonies of the Americas. In the 18th century, José Antonio Vanegas Arroyo was a Spanish Colonial administrator and military officer who served as the Governor of the Captaincy General of Guatemala from 1783 to 1789.

In the 19th century, Manuel Vanegas y Arroyo, a Spanish lawyer and politician, held various important positions, including serving as the Minister of Justice and the President of the Supreme Court of Spain. He was born in Córdoba, Spain, in 1790 and played a significant role in the political and legal affairs of his time.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Vanegas

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

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

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

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