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

Betances, 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 Betances surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Betances in America

Betances is the 14937th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Betances surname appeared 1,981 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Betances.

We can also compare 2010 data for Betances 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 Betances

The surname BETANCES originated in Spain and is derived from the Spanish word "betanza," which means a place where beets are grown. This indicates that the name likely originated from a place name or a nickname related to someone who grew beets or lived near a beet field.

The earliest recorded instances of the BETANCES surname can be traced back to the 13th century in various regions of Spain, particularly in the northern regions of Asturias and Cantabria. It is believed that the name may have evolved from the place name "Betanzos," a town located in the province of A Coruña, Galicia.

One of the earliest known references to the BETANCES surname can be found in the medieval records of the Monastery of Santo Toribio de Liébana in Cantabria, where a person named Pedro Betances was mentioned in a document dated around 1270.

In the 15th century, the BETANCES surname appeared in various historical records, including the "Libro de las Behetrías" (Book of Behetrías), which was a compilation of documents related to land ownership and taxation in the kingdoms of Castile and León during the reign of Pedro I of Castile (1334-1369).

One notable figure with the BETANCES surname was Ramón Emeterio Betances (1827-1898), a Puerto Rican patriot, doctor, and revolutionary who played a crucial role in the island's struggle for independence from Spain. He is considered one of the most influential figures in Puerto Rican history and is often referred to as the "Father of the Puerto Rican Nation."

Another prominent individual with the BETANCES surname was Tomás Betances (1858-1945), a Puerto Rican musician, composer, and bandleader who is considered one of the pioneers of Puerto Rican danza music. He composed several well-known danzas, including "La Criollita" and "La Palomita."

In the realm of literature, the BETANCES surname is associated with the Puerto Rican poet and writer Esmeralda Santiago (born 1948), whose memoir "When I Was Puerto Rican" (1993) received critical acclaim and shed light on the experiences of Puerto Rican immigrants in the United States.

The BETANCES surname has also been present in the world of sports, with notable figures such as Rubén Betances (born 1988), a professional baseball pitcher who has played for the New York Yankees and the Philadelphia Phillies in Major League Baseball.

Additionally, the BETANCES surname has been carried by individuals in various fields, including politics, academia, and the arts, further contributing to its historical and cultural significance across different regions and contexts.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Betances

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

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

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

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