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

Cuestas, 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 Cuestas surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Cuestas in America

Cuestas is the 34668th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Cuestas surname appeared 652 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 Cuestas.

We can also compare 2010 data for Cuestas 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 Cuestas

The surname Cuestas originates from Spain, with roots dating back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Spanish word "cuesta," which means "hill" or "slope." This suggests that the name likely originated from an area with a hilly or mountainous terrain.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Cuestas can be found in the medieval Aragonese records from the 13th century. These records document individuals with the surname residing in various towns and villages across the region of Aragon, located in northeastern Spain.

In the 15th century, the name Cuestas appeared in the Libro de las Buenas Andanzas, an autobiographical account written by Lope García de Salazar, a nobleman from the Basque Country. This historical work provides valuable insights into the socio-political landscape of medieval Spain and mentions several individuals bearing the surname Cuestas.

During the 16th century, Juan de Cuestas (c. 1515 - c. 1590) was a renowned Spanish printer and publisher based in Salamanca. He is renowned for publishing numerous works by renowned authors, including Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, the celebrated writer of Don Quixote.

In the 18th century, Manuel Cuestas (1720 - 1798) was a Spanish military officer and explorer who participated in various expeditions to the Americas. He is particularly known for his role in establishing settlements in present-day Argentina and Chile.

Another notable figure with the surname Cuestas was Joaquín Cuestas (1836 - 1905), a Mexican politician and lawyer who served as the Governor of Chihuahua state from 1892 to 1896. He played a significant role in shaping the political landscape of Mexico during the turbulent period of the Mexican Revolution.

Throughout history, the surname Cuestas has also been associated with various place names in Spain, such as Cuesta del Espino, a municipality in the province of Huelva, and Cuesta de Alhaurín, a residential area in the town of Alhaurín de la Torre, near Málaga.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Cuestas

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

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

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

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