Méndez is a common Spanish surname of Germanic origin,[1] originally a patronymic, meaning Son of Mendo, Menendo, or Mem. A longer form sharing the same root is Menéndez, while the Portuguese form is Mendes. Méndez may refer to:
- Ana G. Méndez (1908–1997), Puerto Rican educator
- Ángel Rivero Méndez (1856–1930), Puerto Rican soldier, writer, journalist and businessman
- Arnaldo Tamayo Méndez (born 1942), Cuban cosmonaut
- Emilio Méndez Pérez (born 1949), Spanish physicist
- Jonna Mendez, (born 1945), American CIA official
- Juan E. Méndez (born 1944), Argentine lawyer and academic
- Miguel A. García Méndez (1902–1998), Puerto Rican businessman, lawyer, statesman and banker
- Tony Mendez, American CIA officer
- Willians Mendez Suarez, Cuban Anglican bishop
- Pablo Mendez, Mexican Music Composer
- Antonio Tobias Mendez (born 1963), American sculptor
- Conny Méndez (1898–1979), Venezuelan composer, singer, writer, caricaturist and actress
- Dalila Paola Méndez (born 1975), American artist
- Denny Méndez (born 1978), Dominican model and actress
- DJ Méndez (born 1975), Chilean-Swedish producer, singer and DJ
- Erica Mendez, United States anime dubbing actor
- Felix Mendez, United States film/television producer and director
- Francisco Méndez (1907–1962), Guatemalan poet and short-story writer
- Gaspar Méndez (fl.1546), Spanish architect of Badajoz
- Lester Mendez, United States record producer and songwriter
- Lucía Méndez (born 1951), Mexican actress and singer
- Luis Fernando Castillo Mendez, Brazilian Catholic priest and patriarch
- Marco Méndez (born 1976), Mexican actor
- Martin Mendez (born 1978), Uruguayan musician
- Nora Méndez (born 1969), Salvadoran poet
- Rafael Méndez (1906–1981), United States musician
- Rebeca Mendez, United States artist and designer
- Ryan Mendez (guitarist), United States musician
- Tomás Méndez, Mexican composer and singer
Politics and military
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- Aparicio Méndez (1904–1988), Uruguayan politician
- Casto Méndez Núñez (1824–1869), a Spanish military naval officer
- Eulalia Jiménez Méndez (born 1891), Mexican revolutionary
- Gaspar Méndez de Haro, 7th Marquis of Carpio (1629–1687), Spanish politician and art collector
- Íñigo Méndez de Vigo (born 1956), Spanish politician
- Juan N. Méndez (1820–1894), Mexican general and Liberal politician
- Louis Gonzaga Mendez Jr. (1915–2001), United States Army officer
- Manuel A. Garcia Mendez, Puerto Rican businessman, lawyer and politician
- Gonzalo Méndez de Cancio (c. 1554 – March 31, 1622), Governor of Spanish Florida (1596–1603)
- Marco Aurelio Robles Méndez (1905–1990), Panamanian politician and President
- Miguel Abadía Méndez (1867–1947), Colombian politician
- Nicanor Costa Méndez, Argentine politician
- Olga A. Méndez (1925–2009), Puerto Rican politician
- Rafael de Nogales Méndez (1879–1936) known as Rafael Inchauspe Méndez, Venezuelan military mercenary
- Rosie Méndez, United States politician
- Santiago Méndez (1790–1870), Mexican politician
- Sylvia Mendez (born 1936), American civil rights activist
- Teodoro A. Dehesa Méndez (1848–1936), Mexican politician
- Alexis Méndez (born 1969), Venezuelan track and road cyclist
- April Jeanette Mendez (born 1987), American professional wrestler better known by the ring name AJ Lee
- Bruno Méndez (born 1999), Uruguayan footballer
- Carlos Méndez (baseball) (born 1974), Venezuelan baseball player
- Donaldo Méndez (born 1978), United States baseball player
- Edison Méndez (born 1979), Ecuadorian footballer
- Federico Méndez (born 1972), Argentine rugby union player
- Gabriel Mendez (born 1973), Australian footballer
- Gustavo Méndez (born 1971), Uruguayan footballer
- Gustavo Méndez (referee) (born 1967), Uruguayan football referee
- Haley Mendez (born 1993), American squash player
- Héctor Méndez (boxer) (1897–1977), Argentine welterweight professional boxer
- Héctor Méndez (rugby union), Argentine former rugby union footballer and coach
- José Méndez (1887–1928), United States baseball player and manager
- Juan Mendez (born 1981), United States basketball player
- Judith Méndez (born 1981), Dominican Republic heptathlete
- Limberg Méndez (born 1973), Bolivian football (soccer) player
- Mario Méndez (Mexican footballer) (born 1979)
- Mario Méndez (Panamanian footballer) (born 1977)
- Norberto Doroteo Méndez (1923–1998), Argentine footballer
- Rómulo Méndez (1938–2022), Guatemalan football referee
- Ronald Méndez (born 1982), Venezuelan volleyball player
- Ryan Mendez (basketball), United States basketball player
- Sebas Méndez (born 1997), Ecuadorian professional footballer
- Sebastián Méndez (born 1977), Argentine footballer
- Benveniste/Mendes family were prominent in 11th to 15th century France, Portugal and Spain.