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

Alcántara, 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 Alcántara surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Alcántara in America

Alcántara is the 2853rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Alcántara surname appeared 12,636 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname Alcántara.

We can also compare 2010 data for Alcántara 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 Alcántara

The surname Alcantara is believed to have originated from the Iberian Peninsula, specifically in Portugal and Spain, during the medieval period. It is derived from the Arabic words "al-qantarah," which translates to "the bridge." This suggests that the name may have been given to individuals who lived near a bridge or were associated with the construction or maintenance of bridges.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Alcantara can be found in the historic town of Alcantara, located in the Estremadura region of Portugal. This town, situated on the banks of the Tagus River, was once an important military outpost during the Reconquista, the period when Christian kingdoms fought to reclaim territories from Muslim rulers.

The name Alcantara has been documented in various historical records, including the Portuguese Livro Velho de Linhagens (Old Book of Lineages) from the 13th century. This manuscript, which chronicles the genealogies of noble families, mentions individuals bearing the Alcantara surname.

In Spain, the surname Alcantara is closely associated with the town of Alcántara, located in the province of Cáceres, Extremadura. This town was once the site of a strategically important Roman bridge over the Tagus River, known as the Puente Alcántara, which played a crucial role in the region's history.

One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Alcantara was Fernão de Alcantara, a Portuguese nobleman who lived in the 14th century. He was a prominent figure during the reign of King Fernando I of Portugal and played a significant role in the Portuguese conquest of the Algarve region from the Moors.

Another notable figure was Bartolomé de Alcantara (1499-1541), a Spanish Franciscan friar and mystic known for his ascetic lifestyle and spiritual writings. He was beatified by Pope Clement IX in 1668 and is venerated as a saint in the Catholic Church.

In the 16th century, Pedro de Alcantara (1499-1562), a Spanish friar and reformer of the Franciscan Order, gained recognition for his austere lifestyle and spiritual teachings. He was a close friend and spiritual advisor to St. Teresa of Avila and was canonized by Pope Clement IX in 1669.

During the 17th century, Pedro de Alcantara Álvarez de Toledo (1589-1667), a Spanish nobleman and military leader, served as the Viceroy of Naples and later as the Viceroy of Sicily. He played a significant role in the Spanish Empire's affairs during the Thirty Years' War.

In more recent times, the surname Alcantara has been associated with notable figures such as Rubén Alcántara (1920-2004), a renowned Peruvian poet and essayist, and María Alcántara (1944-2015), a Spanish actress and singer who gained popularity in the 1960s and 1970s.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Alcántara

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

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

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

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