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

Betanco, 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 Betanco surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Betanco in America

Betanco is the 73005th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Betanco surname appeared 266 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 Betanco.

We can also compare 2010 data for Betanco 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 Betanco

The surname Betanco is of Spanish origin, tracing its roots back to the northern region of Spain. It is believed to have emerged during the medieval period, possibly as early as the 11th century.

The name Betanco is thought to be derived from the Basque word "betanga," which means "low-lying or marshy area." This suggests that the name may have originated as a topographic surname, indicating that the earliest bearers lived in or near a marshy or swampy region.

Historical records from the 13th century mention individuals bearing the name Betanco in the region of Cantabria, a coastal area in northern Spain. These early references suggest that the name was well-established in this region before spreading to other parts of the country.

One of the earliest known bearers of the Betanco surname was Juan Betanco, a nobleman and military commander who fought in the Reconquista, the centuries-long campaign by Christian rulers to reclaim the Iberian Peninsula from Moorish control. Juan Betanco was born around 1180 and played a crucial role in the capture of Seville in 1248.

In the 15th century, the Betanco name appeared in various legal documents and records from the town of Laredo, located in the modern-day autonomous community of Cantabria. These documents mention individuals such as Pedro Betanco, a merchant who lived in Laredo during the late 1400s.

As the Spanish Empire expanded in the 16th and 17th centuries, the Betanco surname began to spread to other parts of the world. One notable figure was Alonso Betanco, a Jesuit missionary who was born in Spain in 1532 and later traveled to present-day Paraguay, where he worked to convert indigenous populations to Christianity.

Another prominent individual with the Betanco surname was Juan Antonio Betanco, a 17th-century Spanish painter known for his religious works. He was born in Madrid in 1623 and became a renowned painter of altarpieces and other religious scenes.

Throughout the centuries, the Betanco surname has also been associated with various place names and locations in northern Spain. For example, there is a small village called Betancuria on the Canary Islands, which may have derived its name from the Betanco surname.

In summary, the surname Betanco has a rich history that can be traced back to medieval Spain, with its origins likely rooted in the Basque language and referring to a geographic feature. The name has been borne by notable figures throughout history, from military commanders and merchants to missionaries and artists, and has spread across different regions as a result of Spanish exploration and colonization.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Betanco

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

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

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

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