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

Yañez, 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 Yañez surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Yañez in America

Yañez is the 1385th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Yañez surname appeared 25,563 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 9 people would have the surname Yañez.

We can also compare 2010 data for Yañez 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 Yañez

The surname YANEZ originated in Spain during the medieval period. It is believed to be a patronymic name derived from the personal name Juan, which is the Spanish form of John. The suffix "-ez" was commonly added to names to indicate "son of" or "descendant of."

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the surname YANEZ can be found in the Becerro de las Behetrías, a 14th-century census document from the reign of King Pedro I of Castile. This document lists several individuals with the surname YANEZ, suggesting that the name was already well-established in various parts of Spain by that time.

The YANEZ surname is particularly associated with the regions of Galicia and Asturias in northwestern Spain, where it has deep historical roots. Some scholars believe that the name may have originated from the Galician-Portuguese variant "Anes" or "Yanes," which later evolved into the Spanish spelling "YANEZ."

In the 15th century, a notable figure bearing the surname YANEZ was Rodrigo YANEZ de Ávila (c. 1400-1470), a Spanish nobleman and military leader who served as a member of the Council of Regency during the minority of King Juan II of Castile.

Another prominent individual with the YANEZ surname was Diego YANEZ de Avilés (c. 1530-1594), a Spanish explorer and colonial governor who founded the settlement of St. Augustine in Florida, now the oldest continuously inhabited European settlement in the continental United States.

During the 16th century, the YANEZ surname gained prominence in the New World as Spanish colonists and explorers began settling in various parts of the Americas. One such individual was Pedro YANEZ de Maldonado (c. 1540-1610), a Spanish explorer who led expeditions in present-day Chile and Argentina.

In the realm of literature, a notable figure bearing the YANEZ surname was Juan YANEZ de la Enzina (c. 1469-1529), a Spanish poet, playwright, and musician who is considered one of the earliest dramatists of the Spanish Renaissance.

Another individual worth mentioning is Jerónimo YANEZ de Espinal (c. 1550-1620), a Spanish painter active in the late Renaissance period, who is known for his religious works and portraits.

As the YANEZ surname spread throughout Spain and its colonies, it continued to be associated with individuals of historical significance, reflecting the rich cultural and historical heritage of this surname.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Yañez

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

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

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

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