2000
#146,011
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Baltera
An Italian surname derived from the word "baltera", meaning a swing or cradle.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 120 Americans carry the last name Baltera. That puts it at #152,989 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,856,286 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Baltera 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
120
1 in 2,856,286
Census rank
#152,989
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
105
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 105 bearers of the surname Baltera in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152989th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Baltera, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.6%) and Two or More Races (4.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Baltera
The surname Baltera is of Italian origin, with its roots tracing back to the medieval period. It is believed to have originated in the region of Tuscany, particularly in the city of Florence and its surrounding areas.
Baltera is derived from the Italian word "baltera," which means "a raised or elevated place." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to individuals who lived or worked in elevated areas, such as on hills or elevated settlements. Alternatively, it could have been a descriptive name for someone who resided near a specific raised location or landmark.
Historical records indicate that the name Baltera appeared in various documents from the 13th and 14th centuries in Tuscany. One notable mention is found in the Libro di Montaperti, an account of the Battle of Montaperti fought between the Guelph and Ghibelline factions in 1260, where a certain Guido Baltera is listed among the combatants.
In the 15th century, the Baltera family gained prominence in Florence, with several members holding influential positions within the city's guilds and civic administration. One such figure was Piero Baltera (1420-1490), a wealthy merchant and banker who served as a consul in the prestigious Arte della Lana (Wool Guild).
As the name spread beyond Tuscany, variations in spelling emerged, including Balteri, Balterra, and Balterri. These variations were often influenced by local dialects and pronunciation.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Baltera:
1. Girolamo Baltera (1540-1618), a renowned Florentine architect known for his work on various churches and palaces in Florence and Rome.
2. Antonio Baltera (1675-1741), a Venetian composer and violinist who served as the maestro di cappella at St. Mark's Basilica in Venice.
3. Maria Baltera (1815-1892), an Italian painter from Milan, known for her portraits and religious works.
4. Enrico Baltera (1865-1928), an Italian engineer and industrialist who played a significant role in the development of Italy's steel industry.
5. Luca Baltera (1920-2005), an Italian mathematician and academic who made significant contributions to the field of algebraic geometry.
While the surname Baltera is not among the most common in Italy today, its rich history and origins in the heart of Tuscany have left an indelible mark on the cultural and intellectual fabric of the region.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Baltera
Among Census respondents with the surname Baltera, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.6%) and Two or More Races (4.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Baltera 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 Baltera surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.7% · 91
- Hispanic or Latino7.6% · 8
- Two or more races4.8% · 5
- Black or African American1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Baltera
Baltera 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
#142,108
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
+13 bearers (+12.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 3,903 places
2020
#152,989
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
-12 bearers (-10.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 10,881 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #146,011 | 104 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #142,108 | 117 | 0.04 | +13 bearers (+12.5%) | Up 3,903 places |
| 2020 | #152,989 | 105 | 0.04 | -12 bearers (-10.3%) | Down 10,881 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 Baltera 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 | #142,108 | #152,989 | -7.7% |
| Count | 117 | 105 | -10.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -12.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Baltera bearers went from 117 to 105 (-10.3% change). The surname moved down 10,881 positions in the national ranking, going from #142,108 to #152,989.
FAQ
Baltera surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Baltera?
Name Census estimates that about 120 living Americans carry the surname Baltera. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,856,286 residents.
How common is Baltera?
Baltera ranks #152,989 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 105 people with the surname Baltera. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (120), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Baltera.
Has Baltera become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Baltera went from 117 recorded bearers to 105. That is a decrease of 12 (-10.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #142,108 to #152,989.
What does the Census say about the background of Baltera?
Among Census respondents with the surname Baltera, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.6%) and Two or More Races (4.8%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Baltera in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.7% (91 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Baltera appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.7%), Hispanic (7.6%), Two or More Races (4.8%). 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 Baltera (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 Baltera mean?
An Italian surname derived from the word "baltera", meaning a swing or cradle. 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 Baltera (0.04 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 common is the surname Baltera?
You can see how many people are called Baltera on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.