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

Betancourt, 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 Betancourt surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Betancourt in America

Betancourt is the 1664th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Betancourt surname appeared 21,663 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 7 people would have the surname Betancourt.

We can also compare 2010 data for Betancourt 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 Betancourt

The surname Betancourt is of Spanish origin and can be traced back to the 8th century AD when the Moors invaded the Iberian Peninsula. The name is derived from the Arabic words "bayt" meaning house and "al-qurt" meaning the city, thus translating to "house of the city" or "city house".

During the Moorish rule of Spain, which lasted until the late 15th century, many place names and surnames were derived from Arabic words and phrases. The name Betancourt is believed to have originated from a specific location or town where the family resided or had a prominent presence.

One of the earliest recorded references to the name Betancourt can be found in the 11th century manuscript "Codex Calixtinus", which documented the lives of various nobles and families in the region of Galicia, Spain. The manuscript mentions a "Rodrigo de Betancourt" who was a knight and landowner in the area.

In the 13th century, another historical figure named Juan de Betancourt was a prominent architect and military engineer who is credited with designing and overseeing the construction of several fortresses and castles in the region of Andalusia, Spain.

During the 16th century, the name gained prominence when Pedro de Betancourt, a Spanish missionary and Catholic saint, was born in 1619 in Tenerife, Canary Islands. He is known for his charitable works and founding several hospitals and orphanages throughout Spain and the Americas.

Another notable individual with the surname Betancourt was Agustín de Betancourt y Molina, a Spanish engineer and inventor who lived from 1758 to 1824. He is renowned for his contributions to the development of various machinery and his work in the field of hydraulics and civil engineering.

In the 19th century, José Isidro Betancourt y Pérez, born in 1808 in Puerto Rico, was a prominent lawyer, politician, and advocate for the abolition of slavery in the Spanish colonies. He played a significant role in the movement for Puerto Rican independence and is recognized as one of the island's most influential historical figures.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Betancourt

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

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

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

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