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

Antunes, 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 Antunes surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Antunes in America

Antunes is the 16295th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Antunes surname appeared 1,770 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Antunes.

We can also compare 2010 data for Antunes 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 Antunes

The surname Antunes has its origins in Portugal, with the earliest records dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Latin name Antonius, which means "priceless" or "invaluable." The name was popularized by Saint Anthony of Padua, a Franciscan friar born in Lisbon in 1195.

The Antunes surname is believed to have first appeared in the northern regions of Portugal, particularly in the areas around Porto and Braga. It was often spelled as "Antunes" or "Antunez" in earlier records, reflecting the linguistic influences of the time.

One of the earliest known references to the Antunes surname can be found in the "Livro Velho de Linhagens" (Old Book of Lineages), a Portuguese genealogical record dating back to the 13th century. This document mentions several individuals with the surname, including Gomes Antunes, a nobleman from the region of Minho.

In the 14th century, the Antunes surname gained prominence in Portugal with the rise of João Antunes, a influential merchant and diplomat who served under King Afonso IV. João Antunes played a crucial role in negotiating trade agreements with England and other European nations.

During the Age of Exploration in the 15th and 16th centuries, several Portuguese explorers and navigators bore the Antunes surname. One notable figure was Pedro Antunes, a navigator who accompanied Vasco da Gama on his historic voyage to India in 1498.

In the literary realm, one of the most celebrated figures with the Antunes surname was Antônio Ferreira Antunes, a 16th-century Portuguese poet and playwright known for his contributions to the Renaissance literature movement in Portugal. He was born in 1528 and died in 1595.

Another notable individual was João Antunes de Almada, a 17th-century Portuguese architect and military engineer who was responsible for designing several fortifications and buildings in Brazil, including the historic city of Salvador.

In the 19th century, José Antunes Mialheiro, a renowned Portuguese writer and journalist, made significant contributions to the country's literary landscape. He was born in 1818 and died in 1881.

Throughout its history, the Antunes surname has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including artists, scholars, politicians, and military leaders, reflecting the rich cultural heritage of Portugal.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Antunes

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

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

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

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