Texas

Texas is known as the Lone Star State, an acknowledgment of its former status as an independent republic and as a reminder of the state’s struggle for independence from Mexico.^[1] Texas became the 28th state of the United States on December 29, 1845.^[2] Texas is the second-largest state in the US by both area and population. It covers an area of approximately 695,662 km² or 268,596.47 mi² .^[3] Texas has a population of over 30 million people, with most residing in urban areas.^[4]^[5]

The Texan economy is diverse, with key industries including energy (particularly oil and natural gas), agriculture, and technology. It’s also known for its large cattle population and as a leader in wind power generation. As of 2022, Texas had a Gross State Product (GSP) of approximately $2.4 trillion, making it the second-largest state economy in the U.S. after California.^[6] If Texas were a country, its economy would rank as the eighth-largest in the world, ahead of countries like Canada, South Korea, Russia, and Australia.^[7] Texas is a major producer of oil, cattle, sheep, minerals, cotton, and produce. The state is also home to the oldest soft drink manufacturer in the U.S., the Dr. Pepper Snapple Group.^[8]

Texas boasts a rich cultural heritage, diverse landscapes ranging from deserts to forested areas, and iconic landmarks such as the Alamo. It’s also famous for its large state fair, vibrant music scene, and a strong sporting culture with numerous professional teams.^[2]

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History of TexasHistory of Texas

The first European to map the Texas Gulf Coast was Alonso Álvarez de Pineda in 1519. The first European settlement in Texas was established by Spanish settlers near present-day El Paso in 1681, following the Pueblo Revolt.^[9]

Between October 1835 and April 1836, the revolt against Mexico, known as the Texas Revolution, was a pivotal period in Texas history. It was a rebellion of colonists from the United States and Tejanos (Hispanic Texans) against the centralist government of Mexico. The revolution began as a series of skirmishes and quickly escalated into a full-blown war for independence. The Battle of the Alamo is one of the most famous events of the Texas Revolution. It took place from February 23 to March 6, 1836, at the Alamo Mission in San Antonio. Despite being vastly outnumbered, the Alamo’s 200 defenders, commanded by James Bowie and William Travis and including the famed frontiersman Davy Crockett, held out against a Mexican force numbering in the thousands led by General Antonio López de Santa Anna.^[10]

Texas joined the United States on December 29, 1845, as the 28th state. This annexation played a significant role in the lead-up to the Mexican-American War.^[11]

Texas seceded from the Union on February 1, 1861, and joined the Confederacy. While some of its military units fought in battles across the Mississippi, Texas was mainly a supplier of soldiers and horses for the Confederate Army. The last land battle of the Civil War occurred in Texas at Palmito Ranch in May 1865.^[12] ^[13]

The late 19th century saw Texas grow rapidly in population and economic production, despite national depressions and fluctuating farm prices. The discovery of oil in the early 20th century transformed the state’s economy, leading to rapid development and urbanization. Texas became a part of the booming national and international economy, with significant contributions from industrial-scale agriculture, ranching, and oil production.^[14]

Demographics of TexasDemographics of Texas

The demographic distribution of Texas population is as follows:^[15]

White: 64.33%
Black or African American: 12.13%
Two or more races: 10.92%
Other race: 7%
Asian: 5.03%
Native American: 0.51%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander: 0.09%

Most common surnames in TexasMost common surnames in Texas

Surname	Incidence	Frequency
Smith	240,599	1:121
Garcia	240,333	1:121
Rodriguez	210,765	1:138
Johnson	189,647	1:153
Williams	186,936	1:155
Hernandez	182,233	1:159
Jones	159,612	1:182
Brown	146,334	1:198
Gonzalez	145,970	1:199
Lopez	136,209	1:213

Researching family history in TexasResearching family history in Texas

The National Archives at Fort Worth has extensive collection of records from Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas. The Texas State Library and Archives Commission preserves and documents the shared heritage and culture of Texas. The Briscoe Center for American History at the University of Texas at Austin is one of the nation’s leading research centers for historical study. The Clayton Library Center for Genealogical Research is recognized as one of the nation’s top genealogical research collections. The Dallas Public Library has one of the largest genealogy collections in the South. It includes 111,700 volumes, 64,500 microfilms, 89,000 microfiche, and over 700 maps. Texas has many local and county libraries that have more genealogical records.

State County ListState County List

Texas has 254 counties:


Anderson	Andrews	Anglina	Aransas
Archer	Armstrong	Atascosa	Austin
Bailey	Bandera	Bastrop	Baylor
Bee	Bell	Bexar	Blanco
Borden	Bosque	Bowie	Brazoria
Brazon	Brewster	Briscoe	Brooks
Brown	Burleson	Burnet	Caldwell
Calhoun	Callahan	Cameron	Camp
Carson	Cass	Castro	Chambers
Cherokee	Childress	Clay	Cochran
Coke	Coleman	Collin	Collingsworth
Colorado	Comal	Comanche	Concho
Cooke	Coryell	Cottle	Crane
Crockett	Crosby	Culberson	Dallam
Dallas	Dawson	Deaf Smith	Delta
Denton	DeWitt	Dickens	Dimmit
Donley	Duval	Eastland	Ector
Edwards	El Paso	Ellis	Erath
Falls	Fannin	Fayette	Fisher
Floyd	Foard	Fort Bend	Franklin
Freestone	Frio	Gaines	Galveston
Garza	Gillespie	Glasscock	Goliad
Gonzalez	Gray	Grayson	Gregg
Grimes	Guadalupe	Hale	Hall
Hamilton	Hansford	Hardeman	Hardin
Harris	Harrison	Hartley	Haskell
Hays	Hemphill	Henderson	Hildalgo
Hill	Hockley	Hood	Hopkins
Houston	Howard	Hudspeth	Hunt
Hutchinson	Irion	Jack	Jackson
Jasper	Jeff Davis	Jefferson	Jim Hogg
Jim Wells	Johnson	Jones	Karnes
Kaufman	Kendall	Kenedy	Kent
Kerr	Kimble	King	Kinney
Kleberg	Knox	La Salle	Lamar
Lamb	Lampasas	Lavaca	Lee
Leon	Liberty	Limestone	Lipscomb
Live Oak	Llano	Loving	Lubbock
Lynn	Madison	Marion	Martin
Mason	Matagorda	Maverick	McCulloch
McLennan	McMullen	Medina	Menard
Midland	Milam	Mills	Mitchell
Montague	Montgomery	Moore	Morris
Motley	Nacogdoches	Navarro	Newton
Nolan	Nueces	Ochiltree	Oldham
Orange	Palo Pinto	Panola	Parker
Parmer	Pecos	Polk	Potter
Presidio	Rains	Randall	Reagan
Real	Red River	Reeves	Refugio
Roberts	Robertson	Rockwall	Runnels
Rusk	Sabine	San Augustine	San Jacinto
San Patricio	San Saba	Schleicher	Scurry
Shackelford	Shelby	Sherman	Smith
Somervell	Starr	Stephens	Sterling
Stonewall	Sutton	Swisher	Tarrant
Taylor	Terrell	Terry	Throckmorton
Titus	Tom Green	Travis	Trinity
Tyler	Upshur	Upton	Uvalde
Val Verde	Van Zandt	Victoria	Walker
Waller	Ward	Washington	Webb
Wartonwha	Wheeler	Wichita	Wilbarger
Willacy	Williamson	Wilson	Winkler
Wise	Wood	Yoakum	Young
Zapata	Zavala

Explore more about TexasExplore more about Texas

MyHeritage.com has 40 collections of genealogically valuable records from Texas. Some of these collections include: Texas Marriages and Divorces, Texas Births, 1926-1995, Texas Deaths, 1964-1998, Texas, Harris County Marriages, and Service Records of Confederate Soldiers. There are additional records in the Texas Collections Catalog.

References

[1] Why is Texas called the Lone Star State? - Texas Proud

[:0-2] 2.0 ^2.1 55 Interesting Facts About Texas That You Should Know

[3] How Big is Texas?

[4] US States - Ranked by Population 2024

[5] Texas Joins California as State with 30-Million-Plus Population

[6] Texas Joins California as State with 30-Million-Plus Population

[7] Countries With A Bigger GDP Than Texas

[8] Texas State Facts – 50States.com – 50states

[9] Age of Exploration

[10] The Alamo

[11] Texas Annexation, Summary, Facts, Significance, APUSH, 1845

[12] Texas in the Civil War | Texas Historical Commission

[13] Early Statehood

[14] Late Nineteenth-Century Texas

[15] Texas Population 2024 (Demographics, Maps, Graphs)

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