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

Frontera, 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 Frontera surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Frontera in America

Frontera is the 33379th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Frontera surname appeared 684 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 Frontera.

We can also compare 2010 data for Frontera 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 Frontera

The surname Frontera originated in Spain during the medieval period. It is derived from the Spanish word "frontera," which means "frontier" or "border." This name was likely given to individuals who lived or worked along the borders or frontiers of Spain, particularly during the time of the Reconquista, when Christian kingdoms were reconquering territory from the Moors.

The name Frontera can be traced back to the 12th century in various records and documents from the regions of Andalusia and Castile. It is believed that some of the earliest recorded instances of this surname appeared in the Libro de Repartimiento, a record of land distribution in the newly conquered territories of Seville and Cordoba in the late 13th century.

In the 14th century, the name Frontera was mentioned in the Cartulario de la Orden de Calatrava, a collection of documents related to the Order of Calatrava, a prominent Spanish military order during the Reconquista. This suggests that some individuals with this surname may have been associated with this order or served as soldiers or administrators in the frontier regions.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Frontera was Juan de Frontera, a soldier and explorer who participated in the conquest of the Canary Islands in the early 15th century. Another notable figure was Pedro de Frontera, a diplomat and ambassador who served the Spanish Crown during the reign of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella in the late 15th century.

In the 16th century, the name Frontera appeared in various records from the Basque Country and Navarre, indicating its spread beyond the southern regions of Spain. During this time, Diego de Frontera, a merchant and explorer, was involved in expeditions to the Americas and the establishment of trading routes.

In the 17th century, a prominent figure with the surname Frontera was Catalina de Frontera, a nun and writer who authored several religious works and was known for her piety and devotion.

Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, the Frontera surname continued to be found in various regions of Spain, with individuals from this lineage working in various professions, including agriculture, military service, and government administration.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Frontera

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

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

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

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