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

Ballestas, 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 Ballestas surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ballestas in America

Ballestas is the 68949th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ballestas surname appeared 285 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 Ballestas.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ballestas 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 Ballestas

The surname BALLESTAS is of Spanish origin and can be traced back to the 14th century in the Castilian region of Spain. It is derived from the Spanish word "ballesta," which refers to a type of crossbow or missile launcher used in medieval warfare. This suggests that the name may have originally been an occupational surname given to individuals involved in the manufacture or use of these weapons.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name BALLESTAS can be found in the "Libro de la Montería" (Book of the Hunt), a medieval Spanish manuscript dating back to the 14th century. This work, commissioned by King Alfonso XI of Castile, contains references to various individuals with the surname BALLESTAS who were involved in royal hunting expeditions.

In the 15th century, the name appears in various historical records and documents from the region of Andalusia in southern Spain. For instance, there are records of a Fernando BALLESTAS who was a landowner and nobleman in the city of Seville during the reign of King Juan II of Castile (1406-1454).

Notable individuals with the surname BALLESTAS throughout history include:

1. Juan BALLESTAS (c. 1450-1520), a Spanish explorer and navigator who accompanied Christopher Columbus on his second voyage to the Americas in 1493.

2. Rodrigo BALLESTAS (c. 1470-1540), a Spanish architect and engineer who was involved in the construction of several notable buildings in Seville, including the Alcázar of Seville.

3. María BALLESTAS (c. 1520-1590), a Spanish poet and writer from Seville who was renowned for her religious poetry and her contributions to the literary circle of the city.

4. Francisco BALLESTAS (c. 1580-1650), a Spanish painter and fresco artist who worked in Seville and surrounding areas, known for his religious and mythological works.

5. Antonio BALLESTAS (c. 1630-1695), a Spanish military officer and colonial administrator who served as the governor of Panama from 1686 to 1692.

The surname BALLESTAS can also be found in various place names and toponyms in Spain, such as Ballestas de Calatrava (a municipality in Ciudad Real) and Ballestas del Páramo (a village in León), suggesting that individuals with this surname may have been influential or resided in these areas in the past.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ballestas

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

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

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

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