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

Infante, 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 Infante surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Infante in America

Infante is the 3252nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Infante surname appeared 11,102 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname Infante.

We can also compare 2010 data for Infante 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 Infante

The surname Infante has its origins in Spain, emerging during the medieval period. It is derived from the Spanish word "infante," meaning "infant" or "child," specifically referring to the children of Spanish royalty. The name's roots can be traced back to the 11th century and the establishment of the Kingdom of Castile.

During the Reconquista, the period when Christian kingdoms in the Iberian Peninsula fought to reclaim territories from the Moors, the term "infante" became associated with the royal titles given to the sons and daughters of Spanish kings and queens. These royal infantes often played significant roles in military campaigns and governing conquered territories.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Infante can be found in the Libro de las Estampas, a 13th-century Spanish manuscript that documented notable individuals and events. This manuscript mentions several individuals bearing the surname Infante, suggesting its widespread use among the Spanish nobility at the time.

Throughout the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, the Infante surname was closely tied to the Spanish monarchy and was often bestowed upon individuals with connections to the royal family. Notable historical figures with this surname include:

1. Infante Juan de Aragón (1350-1396), a Spanish prince and military leader who fought against the Moors during the Reconquista.
2. Infante Fernando de Antequera (1380-1416), a Spanish prince who became the King of Aragon and played a pivotal role in the unification of the Iberian kingdoms.
3. Infante Enrique de Aragón (1384-1445), a Spanish prince and Duke of Villena, known for his patronage of the arts and literature.
4. Infante Alfonso de Aragón (1396-1458), a Spanish prince and military commander who fought in various conflicts, including the Conquest of Naples.
5. Infante Juan de Castilla (1462-1497), a Spanish prince and son of King Henry IV of Castile, who was briefly considered as a potential heir to the throne.

As the Spanish Empire expanded across the Americas and other parts of the world, the Infante surname was carried by settlers and conquistadors, establishing new branches of the family in various regions. In some instances, the surname evolved into different spellings, such as Infanti or Infantino, reflecting local linguistic variations.

While the surname Infante may have originated from a connection to Spanish royalty, it eventually became more widely adopted by individuals without direct ties to the monarchy. However, its historical association with the Spanish nobility and the Reconquista era remains a significant part of its legacy.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Infante

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!