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

Guerrero, 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 Guerrero surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Guerrero in America

Guerrero is the 234th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Guerrero surname appeared 128,677 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 44 people would have the surname Guerrero.

We can also compare 2010 data for Guerrero 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 Guerrero

The surname Guerrero originated in Spain during the medieval period. It is derived from the Spanish word "guerra," meaning "war," and refers to someone who was a skilled warrior or soldier. The name likely emerged during the Reconquista, the centuries-long struggle between Christian and Moorish rulers for control of the Iberian Peninsula.

Guerrero was initially concentrated in the regions of Andalusia, Castile, and Extremadura, areas that were heavily involved in the Reconquista campaigns. Some of the earliest documented instances of the name can be found in 13th-century records from these regions, often referring to soldiers or military officers.

One notable early bearer of the name was Alonso Guerrero, a 15th-century Spanish soldier who fought in the Conquest of Granada, the final phase of the Reconquista. He was renowned for his bravery and leadership on the battlefield.

As the Spanish Empire expanded across the Americas and beyond, the Guerrero surname spread to various parts of the world. In Mexico, for instance, the name can be traced back to the 16th century, when Spanish conquistadors and settlers brought it to the region.

During the Mexican War of Independence (1810-1821), several individuals with the Guerrero surname played significant roles, including Vicente Guerrero, a revolutionary leader and one of the most prominent figures in the conflict. He later became the second President of Mexico, serving from 1829 until his execution in 1831.

Another historical figure bearing the Guerrero name was María Guerrero, a renowned Spanish actress and theater director who lived from 1867 to 1928. She was highly influential in the development of modern Spanish theater and is considered one of the most important figures in her field.

In the realm of literature, the Mexican author Xavier Guerrero (1896-1974) gained recognition for his novels and short stories, which often explored themes of social injustice and the struggles of the working class.

Moving to the present day, notable individuals with the Guerrero surname include Eduardo Guerrero, a Mexican artist and sculptor born in 1935, whose works have been exhibited internationally, and Maribel Guerrero, a Mexican actress born in 1979 who has appeared in numerous films and television shows.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Guerrero

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

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

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

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