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

Aponte, 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 Aponte surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Aponte in America

Aponte is the 2305th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Aponte surname appeared 15,828 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 5 people would have the surname Aponte.

We can also compare 2010 data for Aponte 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 Aponte

The surname Aponte originated in Spain and can be traced back to the 15th century. It is believed to have derived from the Spanish word "punta," meaning "point" or "cape," suggesting that the name may have been associated with a particular geographic location or landmark.

The earliest recorded instances of the Aponte surname can be found in medieval documents and records from various regions of Spain, particularly in the areas of Andalusia and Castile. The name was likely adopted as a descriptive identifier, possibly referring to an individual who lived near a prominent point or promontory.

One notable historical reference to the Aponte surname is found in the archives of the Spanish Inquisition, where several individuals bearing this name were documented during the 16th and 17th centuries. This suggests that the Aponte family had established themselves in Spain during that period.

In the 18th century, Juan Bautista Aponte (1744-1811) was a prominent Spanish military officer and colonial administrator who served as the Governor of Puerto Rico from 1799 to 1804. His leadership during this period played a significant role in the development of the island.

Another notable figure with the Aponte surname was José Antonio Aponte (1765-1812), a free man of color and leader of an alleged anti-colonial conspiracy in Cuba. He was executed for his involvement in the planned rebellion, which aimed to overthrow Spanish rule and establish an independent black republic.

In the 19th century, Ignacio Aponte (1812-1874) was a renowned Cuban poet and playwright, celebrated for his contributions to the development of Cuban literature and culture. His works explored themes of freedom, independence, and national identity.

The surname Aponte can also be found in various place names across Spain and its former colonies, such as Punta Aponte in Puerto Rico and Cerro Aponte in Cuba, further reinforcing the geographic connotations of the name.

Historically, the Aponte surname has been subject to various spellings and variations, including Aponte, Apunte, and Punta, reflecting the linguistic and cultural influences of different regions throughout its evolution.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Aponte

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!