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

Bolaño, 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 Bolaño surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bolaño in America

Bolaño is the 71265th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bolaño surname appeared 274 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 Bolaño.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bolaño 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 Bolaño

The surname Bolano is believed to have originated in Spain, specifically in the region of Galicia. It likely emerged during the medieval period, around the 12th or 13th century. The name is thought to be derived from the Spanish word "bolano," which means "a type of fig tree" or "a fig."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Bolano surname can be found in the Galician archives, dating back to the 14th century. These records mention a certain Rodrigo Bolano, who lived in the town of Pontevedra during that time. The name was also present in other parts of Spain, such as Catalonia and Aragon, where variations like "Bolaño" and "Boleño" were used.

In the 16th century, the Bolano name appeared in several historical documents related to the Spanish exploration and conquest of the Americas. One notable figure was Juan Bolano, a conquistador who accompanied Hernán Cortés in the conquest of Mexico in the 1520s. Another individual, Diego Bolano, was a settler in the Spanish colony of Nueva Granada (present-day Colombia) in the late 16th century.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Bolano surname was associated with various families of nobility and landowners in different parts of Spain. For example, the Bolano family from Andalusia was known for their involvement in the wine trade and owned several vineyards in the region.

In the 19th century, a famous bearer of the Bolano surname was José María Bolano y Novoa (1801-1876), a Spanish politician and statesman who served as the Prime Minister of Spain for a brief period in 1858. Another notable figure was Antonio Bolano Rivadeneyra (1829-1900), a Spanish writer and journalist who was known for his literary works and contributions to the press.

Moving into the 20th century, one of the most renowned individuals with the Bolano surname was Roberto Bolano (1953-2003), a Chilean novelist, poet, and short story writer. He is considered one of the most influential Latin American authors of his time and is best known for his novels "The Savage Detectives" and "2666."

Throughout its history, the Bolano surname has been associated with various professions, including military service, politics, literature, and business. While it originated in Spain, the name has spread to other parts of the world, particularly in Latin America, due to Spanish colonization and migration.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bolaño

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

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

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

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