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

Hidalgo, 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 Hidalgo surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Hidalgo in America

Hidalgo is the 1556th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Hidalgo surname appeared 23,134 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 8 people would have the surname Hidalgo.

We can also compare 2010 data for Hidalgo 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 Hidalgo

The surname Hidalgo originated in Spain during the medieval period. It is derived from the Spanish word "hidalgo," which initially referred to a member of the lower nobility or gentry. The word itself likely derives from the Spanish "hijo de algo," meaning "son of something," implying a person of some distinction or worthy lineage.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the surname can be found in the "Libro de la Montería" (Book of the Hunt), a 14th-century manuscript that details hunting activities during the reign of King Alfonso XI of Castile. The name appears in reference to various individuals who participated in royal hunting parties.

In the 15th century, the Hidalgo name was associated with several notable figures, including Diego Hidalgo, a Spanish explorer and conquistador who accompanied Hernán Cortés in the conquest of Mexico. Another prominent individual was Juan Hidalgo, a painter from Seville who produced works for various churches and monasteries in the region.

The 16th century saw the rise of Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla (1753-1811), a Catholic priest who is revered as the father of Mexican independence. His famous "Grito de Dolores" in 1810 marked the beginning of the Mexican War of Independence against Spain.

In the realm of literature, Juan Hidalgo de Polanco (1614-1685) was a Spanish poet and playwright known for his works in the "conceptista" style, which was popular during the Spanish Golden Age.

Another notable figure was José Hidalgo y Barrientos (1752-1823), a Spanish military officer and colonial administrator who served as the last Spanish governor of Puerto Rico from 1820 to 1823.

Throughout history, the Hidalgo surname has been associated with various place names and regions within Spain, such as Hidalgo de la Vega in Castile and León, and Hidalgo de Cisneros in Castile-La Mancha, reflecting the name's noble origins and geographic distribution.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Hidalgo

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

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

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

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