Lucero last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Lucero

A Spanish surname derived from the Latin word "lucerna," meaning "lamp" or "light," referring to a lamp maker.

Lucero, 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 Lucero surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Lucero in America

Lucero is the 865th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Lucero surname appeared 39,986 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 14 people would have the surname Lucero.

We can also compare 2010 data for Lucero 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 865 945 -8.84%
Count 39,986 33,922 16.41%
Proportion per 100k 13.56 12.57 7.58%

The history of the last name Lucero

The surname Lucero has its origins in Spain, where it emerged during the medieval period. It is derived from the Spanish word "lucero," which translates to "morning star" or "Venus." This connection to celestial bodies suggests that the name may have been initially bestowed upon individuals with a fascination for astronomy or those born under the light of the morning star.

The earliest recorded instances of the Lucero surname can be traced back to the 13th century in various regions of Spain, including Andalusia, Castile, and Aragon. During this time, the name appeared in various historical documents, such as land grants, tax records, and legal proceedings, indicating its widespread use across the Iberian Peninsula.

In the 14th century, the Lucero family gained prominence in the Kingdom of Aragon, where they held positions of authority and influence. One notable figure was Juan Lucero, a respected scholar and diplomat who served as an ambassador to the court of King Alfonso V of Aragon in the early 15th century.

As the Spanish empire expanded across the Atlantic, the Lucero surname traveled with the conquistadors and settlers to the Americas. In the 16th century, Juan Lucero de Godoy, a Spanish explorer and colonist, played a pivotal role in the establishment of the city of Cuzco in Peru, which became an important center of Spanish colonial rule.

During the 17th century, the Lucero surname gained recognition in Mexico, where several individuals bearing this name held significant positions within the Catholic Church. One such figure was Fray Diego Lucero, a Franciscan friar and missionary who dedicated his life to the evangelization of indigenous populations in the northern regions of New Spain (present-day Mexico).

In the 19th century, the Lucero family left its mark in the world of literature with the renowned Spanish writer and poet Tomás Lucero (1818-1891). His works, which often celebrated the beauty of the Spanish countryside and its people, earned him critical acclaim and a place among the notable literary figures of his time.

Over the centuries, the Lucero surname has spread across various regions of the world, carried by individuals of Spanish descent. While its origins can be traced back to Spain, the name has become a part of the cultural tapestry of many nations, reflecting the richness and diversity of the Hispanic heritage.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Lucero

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

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 Lucero was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 11.10% 4,438
Non-Hispanic Black Only 0.22% 88
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 2.67% 1,068
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 2.89% 1,156
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 0.70% 280
Hispanic Origin 82.41% 32,952

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 Lucero has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 11.10% 11.88% -6.79%
Black 0.22% 0.22% 0.00%
Asian and Pacific Islander 2.67% 2.46% 8.19%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 2.89% 3.08% -6.37%
Two or More Races 0.70% 0.88% -22.78%
Hispanic 82.41% 81.49% 1.12%

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

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

Reference this page

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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!

"Lucero last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on October 11, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/lucero-surname-popularity/.

"Lucero last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/lucero-surname-popularity/. Accessed 11 October, 2024

Lucero last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/lucero-surname-popularity/.

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