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

Manteca, 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 Manteca surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Manteca in America

Manteca is the 137327th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Manteca surname appeared 122 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Manteca.

The history of the last name Manteca

The surname Manteca originated in Spain, specifically in the region of Andalusia, during the 15th century. It is derived from the Spanish word "manteca," which means "lard" or "butter." This suggests that the name may have been initially associated with occupations related to the production or trade of these products.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Manteca can be traced back to the late 15th century in various historical records from the region of Andalusia. One notable example is the mention of a certain Juan Manteca in a local land registry document dated 1487.

In the 16th century, the surname Manteca began to spread across other parts of Spain, particularly in the regions of Extremadura and Castile. This may have been due to migration or the establishment of trade routes for the distribution of lard and butter products.

During this time, variations in spelling, such as "Mantequa" and "Mantequilla," were also documented, reflecting the evolution of the Spanish language and regional dialects.

One of the earliest prominent individuals with the surname Manteca was Rodrigo Manteca (1520-1589), a renowned scholar and theologian who authored several influential works on religious doctrine and philosophy.

In the 17th century, the name Manteca appeared in records from various Spanish colonies in the Americas, indicating the migration of individuals with this surname to the New World. For instance, Pedro Manteca (1632-1701) was a notable landowner and rancher in what is now Mexico.

The 18th century saw the rise of a prominent Manteca family in the city of Seville, Spain. One of its most notable members was María Manteca (1745-1817), a philanthropist and patron of the arts who commissioned several notable architectural projects in the city.

As the centuries progressed, the surname Manteca continued to be represented in various fields, including literature, politics, and academia. Notable examples include the Spanish novelist Juana Manteca (1879-1952) and the Argentine philosopher and educator Carlos Manteca (1901-1978).

It is worth mentioning that while the surname Manteca is predominantly Spanish in origin, it has also been adopted by individuals of other nationalities over time, particularly in Latin American countries with strong historical ties to Spain.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Manteca

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

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 Manteca 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.

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

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

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