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

Galdones, 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 Galdones surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Galdones in America

Galdones is the 144141st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Galdones surname appeared 115 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 Galdones.

We can also compare 2010 data for Galdones 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 Galdones

The surname Galdones has its origins in the Basque region of Spain. It is believed to have emerged in the 13th or 14th century, derived from the Basque word "galdun," meaning "lost" or "wanderer." This suggests that the name may have been initially bestowed upon someone who had been displaced or was a traveler.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Galdones can be found in the archives of the town of Durango, located in the Basque province of Vizcaya. A document dated 1387 mentions a certain Juan Galdones, who was a landowner in the area. This provides evidence of the name's presence in the region during the Late Middle Ages.

In the 16th century, the name Galdones appears in a manuscript detailing the noble families of Vizcaya. It is stated that the Galdones lineage originated from the village of Mañaria, situated in the valley of Arratia. This suggests that the name had gained some prominence among the local gentry.

The earliest known bearer of the Galdones surname was Pedro Galdones, born around 1520 in the town of Mañaria. He was a prominent merchant who traded with various ports along the Cantabrian coast. His son, Juan Galdones (1549-1612), followed in his footsteps and became a successful shipowner and trader.

During the 17th century, a branch of the Galdones family settled in the city of Bilbao, where they established themselves as influential merchants and bankers. One notable figure from this period was Ignacio Galdones (1638-1714), a wealthy financier who played a key role in the economic development of the city.

In the 18th century, the Galdones name gained international recognition through the exploits of Juan Antonio Galdones (1723-1789), a renowned navigator and explorer. He sailed extensively throughout the Americas and the Pacific, making significant contributions to cartography and navigation during the Age of Exploration.

As the Galdones family continued to prosper and spread throughout Spain and its colonies, the name underwent various spelling variations, such as Galdones, Galdonis, and Galdonez. These variations reflect the regional influences and linguistic adaptations that occurred over time.

Other notable individuals bearing the Galdones surname include:

1. Miguel Galdones (1810-1884), a prominent politician and lawyer from Seville, who served as a member of the Spanish Parliament.
2. Catalina Galdones (1847-1925), a celebrated Basque poet and author, known for her works celebrating the Basque language and culture.
3. Javier Galdones (1902-1978), a renowned architect who designed several iconic buildings in Madrid, including the Palacio de Comunicaciones.
4. Emilia Galdones (1919-2005), a pioneering scientist and biochemist, whose research contributed significantly to the understanding of enzyme kinetics.
5. Rafael Galdones (born 1967), a respected contemporary artist and sculptor, known for his large-scale public installations in various cities across Spain and Europe.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Galdones

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

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

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

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