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

Vaquero, 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 Vaquero surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Vaquero in America

Vaquero is the 18757th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Vaquero surname appeared 1,462 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Vaquero.

We can also compare 2010 data for Vaquero 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 Vaquero

The surname Vaquero is of Spanish origin, derived from the word "vaquero" which means "cowboy" or "cattle herder" in Spanish. It emerged during the 16th century when Spanish conquistadors and settlers began colonizing the Americas, particularly in regions like Mexico and the southwestern United States.

The name is believed to have originated from the Andalusian region of Spain, where cattle ranching and herding were prevalent occupations. The vaqueros, skilled horsemen and cattle handlers, played a crucial role in the development of the ranching industry in the New World.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Vaquero surname can be found in the archives of the Spanish colonial period in Mexico, where individuals with this name were documented as early as the late 16th century. For example, Juan Vaquero, a renowned vaquero from Puebla, Mexico, was known for his exceptional horsemanship and cattle management skills in the late 1600s.

In the United States, the Vaquero surname gained prominence during the early days of the California Gold Rush, when many Spanish and Mexican vaqueros migrated to the region, bringing their expertise in cattle handling. One notable figure was José Vaquero, born in 1820 in Monterey, California, who was renowned for his skills as a vaquero and his contributions to the development of the cattle industry in the region.

Another prominent individual with the Vaquero surname was Antonio Vaquero, born in 1832 in Seville, Spain. He served as a military officer and later became a respected cattle rancher in the state of Chihuahua, Mexico, during the mid-19th century.

The Vaquero surname can also be found in historical records from Argentina and Chile, where it was likely introduced by Spanish settlers and vaqueros who played a role in the development of the cattle ranching industry in those regions.

Other notable individuals with the Vaquero surname include:

1. María Vaquero (1842-1910), a Spanish writer and feminist pioneer from Madrid.
2. Joaquín Vaquero (1875-1938), a renowned Spanish painter and sculptor from Valladolid.
3. Enrique Vaquero (1900-1982), a Mexican politician and diplomat who served as the Mexican Ambassador to the United States in the 1950s.
4. Raúl Vaquero (born 1956), a Spanish football player and coach who played for several clubs in Spain and Mexico.
5. Javier Vaquero (born 1972), a Spanish professional cyclist who competed in multiple Grand Tours and won stages in the Vuelta a España.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Vaquero

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

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

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

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