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

Matamoro, 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 Matamoro surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Matamoro in America

Matamoro is the 152628th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Matamoro surname appeared 107 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 Matamoro.

The history of the last name Matamoro

The surname Matamoro originated in Spain during the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the phrase "matar moro," which translates to "kill the Moor" in Spanish. This suggests that the name may have been given to individuals who participated in the Reconquista, the centuries-long struggle between Christian kingdoms and the Moors for control of the Iberian Peninsula.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the 13th century, when it appeared in various historical documents from regions such as Castile and Aragon. It is possible that the name was initially a descriptive nickname or a reference to a specific event or battle during the Reconquista.

One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Matamoro was Pedro Matamoro, a military commander who fought alongside King Alfonso VIII of Castile in the Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa in 1212. This decisive victory over the Almohad Caliphate marked a significant turning point in the Reconquista.

Another notable figure bearing the name was Juan Matamoro, a 15th-century Spanish navigator and explorer. He accompanied Christopher Columbus on his second voyage to the Americas in 1493 and played a role in the colonization of the Caribbean islands.

In the 16th century, a branch of the Matamoro family settled in the region of Extremadura, where they became prominent landowners and local nobles. One member, Hernán Matamoro, was a renowned soldier who participated in the Spanish conquest of Mexico under Hernán Cortés.

During the 17th century, the name appeared in various records and manuscripts across Spain, including the archives of the Inquisition. María Matamoro, a resident of Seville, was among those accused of practicing witchcraft and brought before the Inquisition in the early 1600s.

In the 18th century, a prominent figure named Diego Matamoro served as a high-ranking officer in the Spanish Army during the War of the Spanish Succession. He played a crucial role in several battles against the allied forces of Britain, the Dutch Republic, and the Holy Roman Empire.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Matamoro

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

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

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Matamoro, 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!