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

Bentancourt, 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 Bentancourt surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bentancourt in America

Bentancourt is the 52736th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bentancourt surname appeared 393 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 Bentancourt.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bentancourt 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 Bentancourt

The surname Bentancourt originates from the Iberian Peninsula, specifically from Spain and Portugal. It is believed to have emerged during the period of Moorish rule in the Iberian region, which lasted from the 8th to the 15th century. The name is derived from the Arabic words "Bint" meaning "daughter" and "Qurt" meaning "city" or "castle."

One of the earliest recorded instances of this surname can be traced back to the 13th century, when it was mentioned in the Repartimiento de Sevilla, a document that recorded the distribution of land and property in the newly conquered city of Seville after the Christian reconquest of the region. This document contained references to individuals with the surname Bentancourt, suggesting that they were likely of Moorish or Sephardic Jewish descent.

During the medieval period, the name Bentancourt was particularly prevalent in the regions of Andalusia and Extremadura, where many towns and villages bore names with similar etymology, such as Bentarique and Bentacor. It is possible that the surname Bentancourt originated from one of these place names or was adopted by individuals who hailed from these areas.

One notable figure bearing this surname was Hernando de Bentancourt, a 16th-century Spanish explorer and navigator who was involved in the conquest and colonization of the Canary Islands. Another prominent individual was Juan de Bentancourt, a 17th-century Spanish soldier and diplomat who served as the governor of the Canary Islands from 1658 to 1660.

In the 18th century, a branch of the Bentancourt family migrated to the Americas, where they established themselves in various regions, including Mexico and the Caribbean. One prominent member of this branch was Manuel de Bentancourt y Figueroa, a Cuban landowner and military officer who played a significant role in the Cuban resistance against the British occupation during the Siege of Havana in 1762.

Another notable figure with this surname was José de Bentancourt, a 19th-century Mexican artist and painter known for his works depicting scenes from the Mexican War of Independence. His most famous painting, "The Embrace of Acatempan," depicted the dramatic moment when the revolutionary leaders Agustín de Iturbide and Vicente Guerrero embraced after the signing of the Treaty of Córdoba, which paved the way for Mexican independence.

Throughout history, the Bentancourt surname has undergone various spelling variations, including Bentancor, Bentancour, and Bentancur, reflecting the linguistic influences and regional dialects of the areas where the name was prevalent. Despite these variations, the surname has endured, carrying with it a rich cultural heritage that spans multiple continents and centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bentancourt

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

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

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

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