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

Betancur, 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 Betancur surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Betancur in America

Betancur is the 16868th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Betancur surname appeared 1,690 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 Betancur.

We can also compare 2010 data for Betancur 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 Betancur

The surname Betancur has its origins in Spain, specifically in the region of Extremadura. It is believed to have originated in the 12th or 13th century during the Reconquista, the period when Christian kingdoms sought to reclaim territories from the Moors.

The name Betancur is thought to be derived from the Basque words "bete" meaning full or complete, and "antzur" meaning valley or ravine. This suggests that the name may have been initially used to describe someone who lived in a full or complete valley. Alternatively, it could have been a topographical descriptor for a particular area or region.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Betancur can be found in the "Libro de Repartimiento de Sevilla," a document from the 13th century that chronicles the distribution of properties and land grants in the city of Seville after its reconquest by King Ferdinand III of Castile in 1248. The name appears in this document, indicating that individuals bearing the surname Betancur were present in the region at that time.

In the 14th century, there are records of a prominent individual named Alonso Betancur, who served as a military commander during the reign of King Alfonso XI of Castile. Alonso Betancur played a significant role in the Battle of Salado in 1340, where the Christian forces decisively defeated the Marinid Sultanate of Morocco.

During the 15th century, the surname Betancur gained prominence in the region of Extremadura, with several notable individuals bearing the name. One such individual was Pedro Betancur, a renowned poet and writer who lived from 1430 to 1498. His works were widely celebrated during his lifetime and contributed to the rich literary culture of the region.

In the 16th century, the conquistador Juan Betancur was among the first Spanish explorers to venture into the Americas. He accompanied Hernán Cortés on his expedition to Mexico in 1519 and played a role in the conquest of the Aztec Empire. Juan Betancur was also involved in the exploration and settlement of various regions in present-day Mexico and Central America.

Another notable figure with the surname Betancur was Fray Pedro de Betancur, a Spanish missionary and saint who lived from 1626 to 1667. He dedicated his life to serving the poor and establishing schools and hospitals in Guatemala. Fray Pedro de Betancur was canonized by the Catholic Church in 1667, making him a significant religious figure associated with the name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Betancur

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

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

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

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