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

Cuesta, 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 Cuesta surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Cuesta in America

Cuesta is the 12339th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Cuesta surname appeared 2,520 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 Cuesta.

We can also compare 2010 data for Cuesta 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 Cuesta

The surname Cuesta has its origins in Spain and is derived from the Spanish word "cuesta," which means "hill" or "slope." This name likely originated in areas of Spain with hilly or mountainous terrain, where people may have been identified by their proximity to these geographic features.

Cuesta can be traced back to the medieval period in Spain, with records showing the name appearing in various regions of the country as early as the 13th century. One of the earliest recorded instances is in the Libro de Repartimiento de Sevilla, a census-like document from 1283 that listed individuals and properties in the city of Seville after its reconquest from the Moors.

In the 15th century, the Cuesta surname is mentioned in historical records related to the Spanish Inquisition, suggesting that individuals with this name were subject to religious persecution during that time period. One notable figure was Juan de Cuesta, a printer from Madrid who was active in the early 16th century and is known for publishing the works of prominent Spanish writers such as Miguel de Cervantes.

The Cuesta name also appears in connection with Spanish exploration and colonization efforts in the Americas. For example, Pedro de Cuesta was a Spanish soldier and explorer who participated in the conquest of Mexico in the early 16th century under the command of Hernán Cortés.

Another notable figure was Francisco de Cuesta, a Spanish military leader who played a significant role in the Peninsular War against the French in the early 19th century. He commanded Spanish forces in several key battles and was appointed Captain General of the Spanish Army in 1808.

In the 20th century, Juan de la Cuesta was a Spanish poet and literary critic born in 1922 who made significant contributions to the study of Spanish literature and received numerous awards and honors for his work.

While the Cuesta surname is most closely associated with Spain, it has also spread to other parts of the world through Spanish migration and exploration, particularly to Latin American countries such as Mexico, Argentina, and Chile.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Cuesta

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

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

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

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