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

Gutiérrez, 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 Gutiérrez surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gutiérrez in America

Gutiérrez is the 156044th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gutiérrez surname appeared 104 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 Gutiérrez.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gutiérrez 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 Gutiérrez

The surname Gutierrez originates from Spain and has its roots in the medieval era. It is derived from the Old Spanish phrase "goterizo," which means "a person responsible for maintaining gutters or water channels." The name likely emerged as an occupational surname, referring to individuals whose profession involved the construction and repair of gutters or drainage systems.

In the early days of Spanish surname formation, many surnames were based on occupations, reflecting the importance of trades and crafts in society. The surname Gutierrez would have been initially bestowed upon individuals who worked as gutter specialists or maintained water channels in towns and villages.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Gutierrez can be found in the Becerro de Benedictinos, a medieval Spanish manuscript from the 13th century, which mentions an individual named Gonzalo Gutierrez. This document provides evidence of the surname's existence during that period.

As the name spread across Spain, it underwent various spelling variations, such as Gutierres, Gutierrez, and Gutierres de Lara. These variations were common due to the lack of standardized spelling conventions in the past.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Gutierrez. One of the earliest was Pedro Gutierrez de Santa Clara (1521-1603), a Spanish Franciscan friar and writer who contributed to the development of the Nahuatl language in New Spain (present-day Mexico).

Another prominent figure was Juan Gutierrez de Padilla (c. 1590-1664), a Spanish military officer and explorer who led expeditions in Nueva Galicia (present-day western Mexico) and discovered important silver mines in the region.

In the 18th century, Antonio Gutierrez de Otero (1684-1743) was a Spanish architect and military engineer who designed several fortifications and buildings in Cuba and Florida during the Spanish colonial era.

The 19th century saw the rise of José María Gutierrez de Estrada (1808-1867), a Mexican politician and diplomat who served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs and played a crucial role in the Mexican-American War.

In more recent times, Horacio Gutierrez (1948-2021) was a renowned Cuban-American lawyer and civil rights advocate who fought for the rights of Hispanic Americans and immigrants in the United States.

These are just a few examples of the many individuals who have carried the surname Gutierrez throughout history, highlighting its Spanish origins and its presence across various fields and cultures over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gutiérrez

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

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

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

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