Show ContentsNunez History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The earliest forms of hereditary surnames in Spain were the patronymic surnames, which are derived from the father's given name, and metronymic surnames, which are derived from the mother's given name. Nunez was a patronymic surname, created from the personal name Nuño, using the common patronymic suffix is "ez."

Early Origins of the Nunez family

The surname Nunez was first found in Castile, predominant among the Christian kingdoms of medieval Spain.

Early History of the Nunez family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Nunez research. Another 72 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1070, 1214, 1217, 1314, 1315, 1473, 1492, 1641, 1721 and 1772 are included under the topic Early Nunez History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Nunez Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Núñez, Nuñez, Núnez, Nunez, Nuño and many more.

Early Notables of the Nunez family

Prominent among bearers of the Nunez family name at this time was Pedro Núñez, who saved the life of Prince Alfonso (later Alfonso VIII) in the twelfth century; Alvar Núñez de Lara, politician, court advisor and tutor to Henry I (1214-1217); Castilian nobleman Juan Núñez de Lara (died 1314); noblemen Rui Nuño and Dia Núñez, mentioned in a document dated 1315; Alvar Núñez Osorio, made a Count by King Alfonso XI in the early fourteenth century; Pero Nuñez, alderman in Toledo in 1473; Ramiro Núñez de Guzmán, who fought in the reconquest...
Another 91 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Nunez Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Nunez World Ranking

In the United States, the name Nunez is the 430th most popular surname with an estimated 64,662 people with that name. 1 However, in France, the name Nunez is ranked the 4,021st most popular surname with an estimated 1,500 - 2,000 people with that name. 2 And in South America, the name Nunez is the 29th popular surname with an estimated 118 people with that name. 3


United States Nunez migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Nunez Settlers in United States in the 16th Century
  • Andrés Núñez, who arrived in America in 1510
  • Vasco Núñez de Balboa, who was the first European to see the Pacific Ocean, in 1513
  • Alvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca, who reached Mexico in 1527 and eventually voyaged to Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay
  • Juan Núñez, who arrived in Florida in 1538
Nunez Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Isaac Núñez, who arrived with his wife Abigail in Georgia in 1733
  • Domingo Núñez, who arrived in Louisiana in 1779
  • Manuel Núñez, who arrived in Louisiana in 1779
Nunez Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • José Núñez, who arrived in Puerto Rico in 1803
  • Marina Nunez, who landed in America in 1814 4
  • Pero Nunez, who landed in Nombre de Dios, Panama in 1835 4
  • Vasco Nunez, who arrived in Florida in 1838 4
  • Agustin Nunez, who landed in Puerto Rico in 1856 4
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

West Indies Nunez migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 5
Nunez Settlers in West Indies in the 16th Century
  • Pedro Núñez, who arrived in Cuba in 1534
Nunez Settlers in West Indies in the 18th Century
  • Joshua Núñez, who arrived in Jamaica in 1743
  • Sara Núñez, who also opted for Jamaica in 1743

Contemporary Notables of the name Nunez (post 1700) +

  • Rene Nunez, American Democratic Party politician, Member of Texas State Board of Education 1st District;Candidate in primary for Texas State Senate 29th District, 1996 6
  • Samuel B. Nunez, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for U.S. Senator from Louisiana, 1986 6
  • Peter K. Nunez, American politician, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of California, 1982-88 6
  • Norma Nunez, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Illinois, 2008 6
  • N. H. Nunez, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Louisiana, 1912 6
  • Lilly Nunez (b. 1938), American Republican politician, Presidential Elector for Colorado, 2000; Delegate to Republican National Convention from Colorado, 2004, 2008; Member of Republican National Committee from Colorado, 2008 6
  • Joe Nunez, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Colorado, 2008 6
  • Hilario Nunez Jr., American politician, Candidate for Mayor of Jersey City, New Jersey, 2004 6
  • Fabian Nunez, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from California, 2000, 2004, 2008 6
  • Emilio Nunez, American politician, Justice of New York Supreme Court 1st District, 1968 6
  • ... (Another 14 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
  3. "List of most common surnames in South America." Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_most_common_surnames_in_South_America
  4. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
  6. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, May 18) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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