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

Estrela, 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 Estrela surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Estrela in America

Estrela is the 47966th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Estrela surname appeared 441 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 Estrela.

We can also compare 2010 data for Estrela 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 Estrela

The surname ESTRELA is of Portuguese origin, deriving from the Portuguese word "estrela" meaning "star." It is believed to have originated in the late medieval period, possibly as an occupational surname referring to an astrologer, astronomer, or someone who studied the stars.

ESTRELA is thought to have first emerged in the northern regions of Portugal, particularly in areas around Porto and Braga. Similar variations in spelling include Estrella and Estrelha, which can be found in historical records from the 15th and 16th centuries.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname ESTRELA appears in the "Livro Antigo da Sé de Coimbra," a historical manuscript dating back to the late 13th century, which mentions an individual named "Pero Estrela."

In the 16th century, a wealthy merchant named João Estrela was documented as owning several properties in the town of Guimarães, a historically significant town in northern Portugal.

During the Age of Discovery, a Portuguese explorer named Fernão Estrela is credited with mapping and charting parts of the Brazilian coastline in the early 16th century.

The surname ESTRELA can also be traced to some notable individuals throughout history, such as:

1. Francisco Estrela (c. 1520-1585), a Portuguese composer and music theorist known for his contributions to Renaissance music.
2. António Estrela (1679-1744), a Portuguese architect and engineer who designed several notable buildings in Lisbon.
3. Tomás Estrela (1818-1875), a Brazilian lawyer and politician who served as the President of the State of Rio Grande do Sul.
4. José Estrela (1858-1930), a Portuguese painter and illustrator renowned for his landscape and maritime paintings.
5. Fernanda Estrela (1902-1989), a Portuguese writer and journalist known for her literary works and advocacy for women's rights.

While the surname ESTRELA is primarily associated with Portugal and its former colonies, it has also spread to other parts of the world through immigration and diaspora communities.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Estrela

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

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

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

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