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

Macedo, 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 Macedo surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Macedo in America

Macedo is the 4201st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Macedo surname appeared 8,433 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Macedo.

We can also compare 2010 data for Macedo 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 Macedo

The surname Macedo has its origins in Portugal, dating back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Latin word "macedo," which means a person from Macedonia or someone with Macedonian ancestry. The name likely originated as a descriptive surname for individuals who had connections to the ancient Greek region of Macedonia.

In Portugal, the name Macedo can be traced back to the 12th century, where it appeared in historical records and documents. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name was in the Livro Velho de Linhagens (The Old Book of Lineages), a medieval Portuguese genealogical manuscript from the 13th century, which mentioned individuals with the surname Macedo.

The name Macedo was also associated with certain place names in Portugal, such as the town of Macedo de Cavaleiros in the northern region of Trás-os-Montes. This town's name, which literally means "Macedo of the Knights," likely contributed to the spread and adoption of the surname in that area.

One notable historical figure with the surname Macedo was João Rodrigues de Macedo (1520-1633), a Portuguese composer and music theorist who lived during the Renaissance era. He is considered one of the most important Portuguese composers of the 16th century and is known for his sacred and secular works.

Another prominent individual was Pedro de Macedo (1679-1757), a Portuguese Jesuit priest, philosopher, and theologian. He was a renowned scholar and author, known for his work in metaphysics and his contributions to the debate on the nature of knowledge and perception.

In the 19th century, José Agostinho de Macedo (1761-1838) was a renowned Portuguese poet, satirist, and journalist. He was a prominent figure in the literary circles of his time and is known for his satirical works that criticized the political and social conditions of his era.

One cannot discuss the surname Macedo without mentioning António de Sousa de Macedo (1606-1682), a Portuguese diplomat and writer. He served as a diplomat for the Portuguese Crown and was involved in important negotiations, including the Treaty of Westphalia, which ended the Thirty Years' War.

Lastly, Joaquim José de Oliveira Macedo (1798-1867) was a notable Brazilian politician and writer. He played a significant role in the Brazilian independence movement and served as a minister in the early years of the Brazilian Empire.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Macedo

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

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

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

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