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

Esmeralda, 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 Esmeralda surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Esmeralda in America

Esmeralda is the 54418th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Esmeralda surname appeared 379 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 Esmeralda.

We can also compare 2010 data for Esmeralda 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 Esmeralda

The surname Esmeralda originated in Spain during the medieval period. It is derived from the Spanish word "esmeralda," which means "emerald." This term can be traced back to the Latin word "smaragdus," which was borrowed from the Greek word "smaragdos."

Esmeralda was initially used as a descriptive name, referring to someone with green eyes or a connection to the precious gemstone. It may have been adopted as a surname by families involved in the emerald trade or those who lived in areas where emeralds were mined or traded.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Esmeralda appears in the 15th-century Spanish novel "La Celestina" by Fernando de Rojas. In the story, Esmeralda is the name of a character described as a young and beautiful woman.

During the 16th century, the surname Esmeralda was found in various regions of Spain, including Andalusia and Castile. Notable individuals with this surname include Esmeralda de Cervantes (1550-1610), a Spanish noblewoman and patron of the arts, and Esmeralda de Mendoza (1570-1632), a influential courtier during the reign of King Philip III of Spain.

In the 17th century, the surname Esmeralda appeared in historical records from the Spanish colonial territories in the Americas. One example is Esmeralda de la Cruz (1620-1690), a Mexican landowner and philanthropist who established several schools and hospitals in New Spain (modern-day Mexico).

Another notable figure was Esmeralda Velázquez (1680-1745), a Spanish painter and one of the few women artists of her time to achieve recognition for her work. She was particularly known for her religious paintings and portraits commissioned by the Spanish nobility.

As the Spanish Empire expanded, the surname Esmeralda spread to other parts of the world, including the Philippines and the Caribbean. In the 19th century, Esmeralda Santander (1810-1885), a Venezuelan novelist and poet, gained recognition for her literary works that explored themes of love, nature, and patriotism.

Throughout its history, the surname Esmeralda has maintained its connection to the precious gemstone and has been associated with individuals from various walks of life, including nobility, artists, writers, and landowners.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Esmeralda

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

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

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

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