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

America, 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 America surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of America in America

America is the 58604th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The America surname appeared 346 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 America.

We can also compare 2010 data for America 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 America

The surname AMERICA is believed to have originated from the continent of the same name, which was named after the Italian explorer Amerigo Vespucci. It is a relatively modern surname that emerged in the late 15th or early 16th century, likely coined as a geographical reference or an occupational name for someone associated with the newly discovered lands.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname AMERICA can be traced back to various European countries, including Italy, Spain, and Portugal, where explorers and settlers from those regions first ventured to the Americas. Some of the first individuals to bear this surname were likely sailors, navigators, or merchants involved in the early transatlantic trade and colonial ventures.

In the 16th and 17th centuries, as European colonization of the Americas intensified, the surname AMERICA became more widespread, particularly among families and individuals with connections to the New World. It was sometimes used as a toponymic surname, derived from the name of a specific place or region within the Americas.

One of the earliest known bearers of the surname AMERICA was Juan de America, a Spanish sailor and explorer who accompanied Christopher Columbus on his second voyage to the Americas in 1493. Another notable figure was Pedro de America, a Portuguese navigator who explored the Brazilian coast in the early 16th century.

During the colonial era, the surname AMERICA appeared in various historical records and documents related to the settlements and governance of the Americas. For instance, Diego de America was a Spanish soldier and colonial administrator who served as the governor of Panama in the 17th century.

As the Americas continued to be explored and settled, the surname AMERICA became increasingly associated with individuals and families of diverse backgrounds who had roots or connections to the continents. María de America was a renowned Peruvian painter and sculptor of the 18th century, while Juan José de America was a prominent Venezuelan writer and politician in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.

Throughout history, the surname AMERICA has been borne by numerous individuals from various walks of life, including explorers, settlers, artists, writers, politicians, and more, all of whom have contributed to the rich tapestry of the Americas' cultural and historical heritage.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name America

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

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

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

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