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

Estrella, 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 Estrella surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Estrella in America

Estrella is the 2618th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Estrella surname appeared 13,758 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 5 people would have the surname Estrella.

We can also compare 2010 data for Estrella 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 Estrella

The surname Estrella has its origins in the Spanish language, tracing its roots back to the medieval era in the Iberian Peninsula. It is derived from the Spanish word "estrella," which means "star." This name likely emerged as a descriptive surname, given to individuals who lived near a prominent star-shaped landmark or had a distinguishing physical feature resembling a star.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Estrella surname can be found in the "Libro de la Montería" (Book of the Hunt), a 14th-century manuscript detailing hunting exploits during the reign of King Alfonso XI of Castile. This document mentions several individuals with the surname Estrella, indicating its presence in the region during that period.

In the late 15th century, the surname gained prominence with the birth of Diego de Estrella (c. 1475-1540), a Spanish conquistador who accompanied Hernán Cortés on his expedition to Mexico. Estrella played a significant role in the conquest of the Aztec Empire and later served as an encomendero, managing land grants and indigenous labor in New Spain.

Another notable figure bearing the Estrella surname was María de la Estrella (c. 1660-1720), a Spanish mystic and writer from Madrid. Her spiritual works, including "Camino de Perfección" and "Tratado del Amor de Dios," gained widespread recognition and influenced religious thought during the 17th century.

The Estrella surname also has a connection to place names in Spain. The town of Estrella, located in the province of Toledo, likely derived its name from a star-shaped geographical feature or celestial reference. Similarly, the village of Estrellapoblado in the province of Soria may have been named after individuals bearing the Estrella surname who settled in the area.

In the Americas, one of the earliest recorded individuals with the Estrella surname was Mateo de Estrella (c. 1570-1640), a Spanish-born explorer and cartographer. He is credited with mapping parts of the Gulf Coast of present-day Texas and Louisiana, contributing to the exploration and understanding of the region during the early colonial period.

Another notable figure was Juan Bautista de Estrella (c. 1690-1760), a Spanish architect and engineer who worked on various projects in Mexico City and the surrounding areas. His contributions include the design and construction of several churches, convents, and public buildings, leaving a lasting legacy in the architectural landscape of New Spain.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Estrella

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!