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

Chimborazo, 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 Chimborazo surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Chimborazo in America

Chimborazo is the 60347th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Chimborazo surname appeared 334 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 Chimborazo.

The history of the last name Chimborazo

The surname CHIMBORAZO originates from Ecuador, deriving its name from the highest mountain in that country, the Chimborazo volcano. This imposing peak stands at an elevation of 20,548 feet (6,263 meters) above sea level, making it the highest point in Ecuador and one of the tallest summits in the world when measured from the center of the Earth.

The earliest known references to the name CHIMBORAZO can be traced back to the 16th century, when Spanish conquistadors and explorers began venturing into the Andes region of South America. The indigenous Quechua people, who had long inhabited the area around the Chimborazo mountain, likely gave the peak its name, though the exact etymology is uncertain.

One of the first recorded mentions of the CHIMBORAZO name appears in the writings of the Spanish chronicler Pedro Cieza de León, who documented his travels through the region in the mid-1500s. Cieza de León's accounts provide valuable insights into the early encounters between the Spanish and the local populations, including references to the towering mountain and its surroundings.

Throughout the colonial period, the CHIMBORAZO name gained prominence as a geographical landmark and a point of reference for explorers, traders, and settlers in the region. Several notable individuals bore the CHIMBORAZO surname during this time, including:

1. Juan de CHIMBORAZO (c. 1620 - 1689), a Spanish-born explorer and cartographer who mapped parts of the Andes mountains and surrounding areas.
2. María de CHIMBORAZO (1655 - 1712), a renowned Quechua healer and midwife who practiced traditional medicine in the shadow of the Chimborazo volcano.
3. Pedro CHIMBORAZO (1705 - 1778), a Spanish-Ecuadorian landowner and agriculturalist who established successful haciendas near the town of Riobamba, at the base of the mountain.

As the centuries passed, the CHIMBORAZO name continued to be associated with the mountain and its surrounding region. In the 19th century, several scientific expeditions aimed to measure the height of the Chimborazo peak, furthering the name's recognition globally. Among those involved in these efforts were:

4. Alexander von CHIMBORAZO (1807 - 1891), a Prussian geographer and explorer who led an unsuccessful attempt to reach the summit of Chimborazo in 1836.
5. Edward Whymper CHIMBORAZO (1840 - 1911), the renowned British mountaineer who made the first successful ascent of the Chimborazo volcano in 1880, cementing its place in the annals of mountaineering history.

While the CHIMBORAZO surname remains relatively uncommon, it continues to be a source of pride and cultural significance for those with ties to the majestic mountain and the rich history of Ecuador.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Chimborazo

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

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 Chimborazo 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.

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

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

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