2000
#3,979
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,200
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.04
Uncommon Last name
Altamirano
Derived from a place name meaning "high view" in Spanish, referring to someone who lived in such a location.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 13,378 Americans carry the last name Altamirano. That puts it at #3,010 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.90 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 25,621 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Altamirano surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
13K
1 in 25,621
Census rank
#3,010
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
12K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 11,666 bearers of the surname Altamirano in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.90 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3010th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Altamirano, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 93.4%. The next largest groups are White (4.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Altamirano
Among Census respondents with the surname Altamirano, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 93.4%. The next largest groups are White (4.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Altamirano bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Altamirano surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino93.4% · 10,891
- White4.8% · 556
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.2% · 142
- Two or more races0.3% · 35
- Black or African American0.3% · 32
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 10
Timeline
Historical Census data for Altamirano
Altamirano appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#2,915
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,296
+4,096 bearers (+50.0%)
Per 100,000 4.17
Rank movement Up 1,064 places
2020
#3,010
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,666
-630 bearers (-5.1%)
Per 100,000 3.90
Rank movement Down 95 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,979 | 8,200 | 3.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,915 | 12,296 | 4.17 | +4,096 bearers (+50.0%) | Up 1,064 places |
| 2020 | #3,010 | 11,666 | 3.90 | -630 bearers (-5.1%) | Down 95 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Altamirano surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #2,915 | #3,010 | -3.3% |
| Count | 12,296 | 11,666 | -5.1% |
| Per 100K | 4.17 | 3.90 | -6.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Altamirano bearers went from 12,296 to 11,666 (-5.1% change). The surname moved down 95 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,915 to #3,010.
FAQ
Altamirano surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Altamirano?
Name Census estimates that about 13,378 living Americans carry the surname Altamirano. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 25,621 residents.
How common is Altamirano?
Altamirano ranks #3,010 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.90 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 11,666 people with the surname Altamirano. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (13,378), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.9 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.90 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Altamirano.
Has Altamirano become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Altamirano went from 12,296 recorded bearers to 11,666. That is a decrease of 630 (-5.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,915 to #3,010.
What does the Census say about the background of Altamirano?
Among Census respondents with the surname Altamirano, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 93.4%. The next largest groups are White (4.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.2%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Altamirano in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.4% (10,891 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Altamirano appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (93.4%), White (4.8%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.2%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Altamirano (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Altamirano mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "high view" in Spanish, referring to someone who lived in such a location. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Altamirano (3.90 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people share the surname Altamirano?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.