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

Espiritu, 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 Espiritu surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Espiritu in America

Espiritu is the 7502nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Espiritu surname appeared 4,438 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Espiritu.

We can also compare 2010 data for Espiritu 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 Espiritu

The surname Espiritu originated from Spain during the medieval period. It is derived from the Spanish word "espiritu," which means "spirit" or "soul" in English. The name likely referred to someone who was perceived as having a spiritual or soulful nature.

The earliest recorded instances of the Espiritu surname date back to the 13th century in various regions of Spain, such as Catalonia, Aragon, and Castile. It was commonly spelled as "Espiritu" or "Spiritu" during that time.

In the 16th century, the Espiritu name appeared in historical records related to the Spanish colonization of the Americas. Some notable individuals include Diego Espiritu, a Spanish conquistador who accompanied Hernán Cortés in the conquest of Mexico in the early 1500s.

Another prominent figure was María Espiritu, a Spanish nun who founded a convent in Quito, Ecuador, in the late 16th century. She was known for her piety and dedication to education and is remembered as a significant figure in the history of colonial Ecuador.

During the 17th century, the Espiritu surname was found in various parts of the Spanish empire, including the Philippines and Latin America. Juan Espiritu, a Spanish soldier and explorer, was involved in the colonization of the Philippine Islands in the early 1600s.

In the 18th century, Pedro Espiritu was a renowned Spanish painter known for his religious and historical works. He was born in Valencia in 1723 and died in Madrid in 1797.

In the 19th century, José Espiritu was a prominent Mexican politician and author. He was born in 1823 and played a significant role in the reform movements of his time, advocating for social and political changes in Mexico.

Throughout history, the Espiritu surname has been carried by individuals from various backgrounds, including artists, writers, soldiers, and religious figures. While its origins can be traced back to medieval Spain, the name has since spread to various parts of the world, reflecting the influence of Spanish culture and the diaspora of Spanish-speaking communities.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Espiritu

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

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

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

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