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

Lastra, 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 Lastra surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Lastra in America

Lastra is the 17809th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Lastra surname appeared 1,572 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Lastra.

We can also compare 2010 data for Lastra 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 Lastra

The surname Lastra is of Spanish origin and can be traced back to the 12th century. It is believed to have originated from the Spanish word "losa," which means a flat stone or slab. This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who lived near or worked with flat stones or slabs.

The earliest known record of the surname Lastra dates back to 1195 in the town of Santander, Spain. In this record, a man named Pedro de la Lastra is mentioned as a landowner in the region. This early usage of the name suggests that it was already established as a surname by the late 12th century.

Another early reference to the name Lastra can be found in the "Repartimiento de Sevilla," a document from 1253 that recorded the distribution of land and property in Seville after the Christian conquest of the city. In this document, several individuals with the surname Lastra are listed as recipients of land grants.

Throughout the Middle Ages and the Renaissance period, the surname Lastra continued to be found in various regions of Spain, particularly in the northern areas such as Cantabria, Asturias, and the Basque Country. One notable figure from this time was Juan de Lastra, a Spanish conquistador who participated in the conquest of Peru in the 16th century.

In the 17th century, a prominent individual with the surname Lastra was Diego de Lastra y Cuesta, a Spanish jurist and author who served as a judge in the Spanish Inquisition. He was born in 1612 and is known for his works on legal and theological matters.

Moving into the 18th century, Francisco de Lastra y Aguilar (1670-1738) was a Spanish military officer and colonial administrator who served as the Governor of Puerto Rico from 1721 to 1724. He played a significant role in the defense and development of the island during his tenure.

In the 19th century, José María de Lastra (1800-1875) was a notable Mexican politician and diplomat who served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs for Mexico from 1853 to 1855. He played a crucial role in the negotiations that led to the Gadsden Purchase, in which Mexico ceded a significant portion of land to the United States.

The surname Lastra has also been found in various Spanish-speaking countries due to migration and colonization. For example, in the 20th century, José Lastra (1914-1989) was a Cuban writer and literary critic who made significant contributions to the literary scene in Cuba and Latin America.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Lastra

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

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

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

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