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

Fuentes, 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 Fuentes surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Fuentes in America

Fuentes is the 394th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Fuentes surname appeared 81,006 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 27 people would have the surname Fuentes.

We can also compare 2010 data for Fuentes 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 Fuentes

The surname Fuentes is of Spanish origin, derived from the word "fuente" meaning "fountain" or "spring" in English. It likely originated as a topographic name, referring to someone who lived near a natural spring or well.

The name can be traced back to the medieval era in Spain, with early records showing variations such as Fuente, Fonte, and Fontana. These variations reflect the influence of different regional dialects and the transition from Latin to Spanish.

One of the earliest known references to the name Fuentes appears in the Becerro de Repartimiento, a document from the 13th century that recorded the distribution of lands and properties in the Kingdom of Seville after the Reconquista. This document mentions several individuals with the surname Fuentes, indicating their presence in the region.

In the 15th century, the surname Fuentes gained prominence with the birth of Alonso de Fuentes (c. 1460-1510), a Spanish composer and musician who served at the court of Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile. His works, including sacred music and secular songs, were widely recognized during the Renaissance period.

Another notable figure with the surname Fuentes was Bartolomé de las Casas (1484-1566), a Spanish Dominican friar and historian. He is renowned for his advocacy for the rights of indigenous peoples in the Americas and his efforts to abolish the encomienda system, which subjected Native Americans to forced labor.

During the 16th century, the surname Fuentes also appeared in various parts of the Spanish Empire, including the Americas. One prominent individual was Pedro de Fuentes (c. 1520-1578), a Spanish conquistador who participated in the conquest of Guatemala and later served as the alcalde (mayor) of Santiago de los Caballeros, the first capital of Guatemala.

In the realm of literature, Juan de la Cueva (1543-1612), a Spanish poet and dramatist from Seville, carried the surname Fuentes. He is considered a significant figure in the development of Spanish theater and is credited with introducing the use of verse in dramatic works.

As the Spanish Empire expanded, the surname Fuentes spread to various regions, including the Philippines, where it is still widely found today. In the 19th century, a notable figure was Marcelo H. del Pilar (1850-1896), a Filipino writer and journalist who used the pen name Plaridel. He played a crucial role in the Philippine Revolution against Spanish colonial rule.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Fuentes

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

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

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

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