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

Afonso, 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 Afonso surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Afonso in America

Afonso is the 21260th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Afonso surname appeared 1,233 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Afonso.

We can also compare 2010 data for Afonso 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 Afonso

The surname Afonso is of Portuguese origin, with its roots dating back to the Middle Ages. It is a patronymic name, derived from the medieval Portuguese given name Afonso, which itself originated from the Germanic name Alfonso, a combination of the elements "adal" meaning "noble" and "funiz" meaning "ready".

Afonso was a popular name among the Portuguese nobility and royalty during the medieval period. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Afonso I, also known as Afonso Henriques, who reigned as the first King of Portugal from 1139 to 1185. He played a crucial role in establishing Portugal as an independent kingdom.

The surname Afonso can be traced back to various historical records and documents from the 13th and 14th centuries. For instance, it appears in the Portuguese royal charters and chronicles of the time, indicating its prevalence among the aristocracy and influential families.

One notable figure who bore the surname Afonso was Álvaro Afonso, a Portuguese nobleman and military commander who lived in the 14th century. He served as the Governor of Portugal's overseas territories and played a significant role in the country's expansionist efforts during the Age of Discovery.

Another prominent bearer of the surname was Pedro Afonso, a 15th-century Portuguese navigator and explorer. He is credited with discovering and colonizing the Cape Verde Islands off the coast of West Africa, contributing to Portugal's maritime exploration and colonial expansion.

In the realm of literature, the surname Afonso is associated with the 16th-century Portuguese poet and dramatist Gil Vicente. Born in the late 15th century, he is regarded as the founder of Portuguese theater and is widely celebrated for his religious plays and satirical works.

The surname Afonso has also been linked to various place names throughout Portugal, particularly in regions where the name was historically prevalent. For example, the town of Afonsoeiro in central Portugal is believed to have derived its name from the surname, indicating the presence of families bearing the name in that area.

Over the centuries, the surname Afonso has undergone various spellings and regional variations, such as Affonso, Affonço, and Affonsso, reflecting the linguistic evolution and regional dialects within Portugal. However, the core form of Afonso has remained the most widely recognized and used spelling.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Afonso

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

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

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

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