Altamirano last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Altamirano

Derived from a place name meaning "high view" in Spanish, referring to someone who lived in such a location.

Altamirano, 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 Altamirano surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Altamirano in America

Altamirano is the 2915th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Altamirano surname appeared 12,296 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 Altamirano.

We can also compare 2010 data for Altamirano 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 2915 3979 -30.87%
Count 12,296 8,200 39.97%
Proportion per 100k 4.17 3.04 31.35%

The history of the last name Altamirano

The surname Altamirano originated in Spain, specifically in the regions of Castilla and León. It dates back to the medieval period, likely emerging between the 11th and 13th centuries. The name is derived from the Spanish words "alta" meaning "high" and "mira" meaning "view" or "lookout". This suggests that the name may have originated from a place name referring to a high vantage point or a location with a commanding view.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Altamirano surname can be traced back to the 13th century. In 1284, a document from the Monastery of San Salvador de Oña in Burgos mentioned an individual named Rodrigo Altamirano. This indicates that the name was already established and in use during that time period.

During the 15th century, the name Altamirano appeared in several historical records, including the "Libro de Repartimiento de Sevilla" (Book of Distribution of Seville), which documented the distribution of land and properties after the reconquest of Seville in 1248. This suggests that individuals bearing the Altamirano surname may have participated in the reconquest and settlement of the region.

One notable figure with the surname Altamirano was Diego Altamirano, a Spanish conquistador who participated in the conquest of Mexico alongside Hernán Cortés in the early 16th century. He was born in Extremadura, Spain, around 1490 and played a significant role in the subjugation of the Aztec Empire.

Another prominent individual was Juan Bautista Altamirano, a Spanish philosopher and writer born in Puebla, New Spain (present-day Mexico) in 1661. He was a member of the Jesuit order and contributed to the intellectual and literary circles of his time.

In the 19th century, Ignacio Manuel Altamirano (1834-1893) was a Mexican writer, journalist, and politician. He is considered one of the most influential figures in Mexican literature and played a pivotal role in the development of the country's literary identity.

Other notable individuals with the Altamirano surname include Miguel Altamirano (1905-1979), a Chilean painter and sculptor known for his abstract and surrealist works, and Julio Altamirano (1909-1994), a Mexican architect who designed several iconic buildings in Mexico City.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Altamirano

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

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 Altamirano was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 4.24% 521
Non-Hispanic Black Only 0.28% 34
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 1.17% 144
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.12% 15
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 0.13% 16
Hispanic Origin 94.05% 11,564

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

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 4.24% 4.76% -11.56%
Black 0.28% 0.13% 73.17%
Asian and Pacific Islander 1.17% 1.35% -14.29%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.12% 0.16% -28.57%
Two or More Races 0.13% 0.39% -100.00%
Hispanic 94.05% 93.21% 0.90%

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

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

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"Altamirano last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on November 22, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/altamirano-surname-popularity/.

"Altamirano last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/altamirano-surname-popularity/. Accessed 22 November, 2024

Altamirano last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/altamirano-surname-popularity/.

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