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

Fontela, 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 Fontela surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Fontela in America

Fontela is the 108199th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Fontela surname appeared 164 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 Fontela.

We can also compare 2010 data for Fontela 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 Fontela

The surname Fontela has its origins in the Iberian Peninsula, particularly in the regions of Galicia and northern Portugal, where it first emerged during the medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Latin word "fontana," meaning "fountain" or "spring," suggesting a connection to a toponymic source or a place name associated with a natural water source.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Fontela surname can be found in the Tombo de Celanova, a medieval cartulary of the Monastery of Celanova in Galicia, dated around the 13th century. This document mentions individuals bearing the name, indicating its existence and usage during that era.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in various Portuguese historical records, including the "Inquirições de D. Afonso III" (Inquiries of King Afonso III), which documented land ownership and taxation records. This suggests that the Fontela surname was well-established in Portugal by that time.

Notable individuals throughout history who bore the Fontela surname include:

1. João Fontela (c. 1480 - 1550), a Portuguese explorer and navigator who accompanied Vasco da Gama on his second voyage to India in 1502.
2. Bernardo Fontela (1587 - 1652), a Spanish-born Jesuit missionary who worked in South America and founded several missions in present-day Paraguay.
3. María Fontela y Aguilar (1674 - 1739), a Spanish noblewoman and philanthropist known for her charitable works in Seville.
4. Francisco Fontela y Ramos (1822 - 1898), a Spanish military officer and politician who served as the Minister of War during the First Spanish Republic.
5. Andrés Fontela Montes (1879 - 1962), a Galician writer and journalist who contributed significantly to the preservation of Galician culture and language.

The Fontela surname has also been associated with various place names and geographical locations, particularly in Spain and Portugal. For instance, there are villages and parishes named Fontelas in both countries, likely derived from the Latin word "fontana" or its derivatives, further reinforcing the name's connection to natural water sources.

While the Fontela surname originated in the Iberian Peninsula, it has since spread to other parts of the world, carried by migration and the diaspora of Iberian populations. However, its roots remain firmly grounded in the rich history and linguistic heritage of the regions of Galicia and northern Portugal.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Fontela

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

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

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

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