Almedia last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Almedia

A Portuguese surname derived from the Latin words for "almond tree".

Almedia, 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 Almedia surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Almedia in America

Almedia is the 148347th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Almedia surname appeared 111 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 Almedia.

We can also compare 2010 data for Almedia 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.

20102000Change (%)
Rank1483471482440.07%
Count1111028.45%
Proportion per 100k0.040.040.00%

The history of the last name Almedia

The surname Almedia has its origins in Portugal, where it first emerged during the medieval period. The name is derived from the Portuguese word "Almeida," which refers to a fortified town located in the northeastern region of the country, near the Spanish border. This place name itself is believed to have its roots in the Arabic term "al-madia," meaning "the crossing" or "the ford."

During the 12th century, the town of Almeida gained strategic importance as a military outpost and defensive stronghold against the ongoing Reconquista, the campaign to reclaim the Iberian Peninsula from Moorish rule. It is likely that the surname Almedia originated as a locational name, referring to individuals who hailed from or resided in this fortified town.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Almedia can be found in the "Livro Velho das Linhagens" (The Old Book of Lineages), a 14th-century Portuguese manuscript that chronicles the ancestry and genealogy of noble families. This document mentions several individuals bearing the Almedia name, indicating their prominence in medieval Portuguese society.

In the 15th century, during the Age of Discovery, the Almedia surname gained further recognition when Vasco da Gama, the famous Portuguese explorer, appointed Francisco de Almeida as the first Viceroy of Portuguese India in 1505. Francisco de Almeida played a crucial role in establishing Portuguese trade routes and colonial outposts in the Indian Ocean region.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have carried the Almedia surname. One such figure is João de Almeida Pessanha (1826-1898), a Portuguese poet and playwright renowned for his contributions to the Romantic movement in Portuguese literature. Another prominent bearer of the name was Manuel de Almeida Júnior (1857-1924), a Brazilian painter celebrated for his depictions of rural life and landscapes.

In the 20th century, the Almedia surname gained further recognition with individuals like José Almedia Fernandes (1892-1977), a Brazilian architect and urban planner who significantly influenced the development of modern architecture in Brazil. Additionally, Álvaro de Almedia (1900-1981), a Portuguese writer and journalist, gained acclaim for his literary works and contributions to Portuguese culture.

While the surname Almedia has its roots firmly planted in Portuguese history, it has since spread globally due to migration and diaspora communities, though its origins can be traced back to the fortified town of Almeida and its strategic significance during the medieval era.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Almedia

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

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 Almedia was:

Race/EthnicityPercentageTotal Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only57.66%64
Non-Hispanic Black Only6.31%7
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only(S)%(S)
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native(S)%(S)
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races(S)%(S)
Hispanic Origin27.93%31

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 Almedia has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

20102000Change (%)
White57.66%43.14%28.81%
Black6.31%11.76%-60.32%
Asian and Pacific Islander(S)%(S)%(S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native(S)%(S)%(S)%
Two or More Races(S)%13.73%(S)%
Hispanic27.93%30.39%-8.44%

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

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

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