2000
#8,794
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,432
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.27
Rare Last name
Belmonte
A habitational surname referring to someone living near a beautiful mountain, from Italian "bel monte" meaning "beautiful mountain."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,558 Americans carry the last name Belmonte. That puts it at #7,993 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.33 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 75,198 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Belmonte 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Belmonte with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.6K
1 in 75,198
Census rank
#7,993
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,975 bearers of the surname Belmonte in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.33 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7993rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Belmonte, the largest self-reported group is White at 48.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (38.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (10.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Belmonte
The surname Belmonte is of Spanish origin, derived from the words "bel" meaning "beautiful" and "monte" meaning "hill" or "mountain." It is believed to have originated in the late medieval period, possibly as a reference to a picturesque hilltop location in Spain.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Belmonte name can be found in the 13th-century manuscript "Fuero de Cuenca," which mentions a nobleman named Pedro de Belmonte. This suggests that the name was already established in parts of Spain by that time.
During the 15th century, the Belmonte family gained prominence in the Kingdom of Aragon, with Juan de Belmonte (1420-1487) serving as a trusted advisor to King Juan II of Aragon. The family's influence extended into the 16th century, with Alonso de Belmonte (1492-1557) becoming a renowned scholar and theologian.
In the 17th century, the Belmonte name appeared in historical records related to Spanish exploration and colonization efforts in the Americas. One notable figure was Pedro de Belmonte (1615-1688), a Spanish conquistador who participated in the conquest of Chile.
The 18th century saw the rise of Juan Belmonte (1738-1803), a celebrated Spanish painter known for his religious works and portraits. His paintings can be found in various churches and museums across Spain.
Moving into the 19th century, the Belmonte name gained further recognition with Manuel Belmonte (1819-1892), a Spanish politician and diplomat who served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs for Spain from 1881 to 1883.
Another notable figure from this period was Juan Belmonte (1892-1962), a legendary Spanish bullfighter widely regarded as one of the greatest matadors of all time. His innovative style and daring performances made him a cultural icon in Spain and beyond.
In the 20th century, the Belmonte name continued to be associated with various fields, including literature and sports. José Belmonte (1919-2008) was a renowned Spanish writer and poet, known for his works exploring the themes of love, nature, and existentialism.
It is worth noting that variations of the Belmonte name, such as Bellmonte, Belmunt, and Belmunt, have also been recorded throughout history, reflecting the evolution of spelling practices over time.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Belmonte
Among Census respondents with the surname Belmonte, the largest self-reported group is White at 48.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (38.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (10.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Belmonte 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 Belmonte surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White48.4% · 1,923
- Hispanic or Latino38.4% · 1,526
- Asian and Pacific Islander10.3% · 409
- Two or more races2.3% · 91
- Black or African American0.5% · 18
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Belmonte
Belmonte 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
#8,124
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,083
+651 bearers (+19.0%)
Per 100,000 1.38
Rank movement Up 670 places
2020
#7,993
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,975
-108 bearers (-2.6%)
Per 100,000 1.33
Rank movement Up 131 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,794 | 3,432 | 1.27 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,124 | 4,083 | 1.38 | +651 bearers (+19.0%) | Up 670 places |
| 2020 | #7,993 | 3,975 | 1.33 | -108 bearers (-2.6%) | Up 131 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 Belmonte 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 | #8,124 | #7,993 | 1.6% |
| Count | 4,083 | 3,975 | -2.6% |
| Per 100K | 1.38 | 1.33 | -3.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Belmonte bearers went from 4,083 to 3,975 (-2.6% change). The surname moved up 131 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,124 to #7,993.
FAQ
Belmonte surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Belmonte?
Name Census estimates that about 4,558 living Americans carry the surname Belmonte. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 75,198 residents.
How common is Belmonte?
Belmonte ranks #7,993 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.33 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,975 people with the surname Belmonte. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,558), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.33 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.33 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Belmonte.
Has Belmonte become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Belmonte went from 4,083 recorded bearers to 3,975. That is a decrease of 108 (-2.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #8,124 to #7,993.
What does the Census say about the background of Belmonte?
Among Census respondents with the surname Belmonte, the largest self-reported group is White at 48.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (38.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (10.3%). 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 Belmonte in the 2020 Census, accounting for 48.4% (1,923 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Belmonte appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (48.4%), Hispanic (38.4%), Asian/Pacific Islander (10.3%). 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 Belmonte (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 Belmonte mean?
A habitational surname referring to someone living near a beautiful mountain, from Italian "bel monte" meaning "beautiful mountain." 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 Belmonte (1.33 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 many Americans have the surname Belmonte?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.