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

Mestizo, 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 Mestizo surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Mestizo in America

Mestizo is the 93921st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Mestizo surname appeared 195 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 Mestizo.

We can also compare 2010 data for Mestizo 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 Mestizo

The surname "MESTIZO" has its origins in the Spanish language and can be traced back to the colonial era in Latin America, particularly in regions that were part of the Spanish Empire.

The word "mestizo" is derived from the Latin word "mixtus," meaning "mixed." It was initially used to refer to individuals of mixed European and Indigenous American ancestry. The term gained prominence during the colonial period as a means of categorizing the diverse populations that emerged from the interracial unions between Spanish colonists and the indigenous peoples of the Americas.

One of the earliest documented references to the term "mestizo" can be found in the writings of Gonzalo Fernández de Oviedo y Valdés, a Spanish chronicler and author of the 16th century work "Historia General y Natural de las Indias." In this work, Oviedo described the growing population of individuals of mixed Spanish and Indigenous ancestry in the colonies.

As the colonial period progressed, the term "mestizo" became increasingly prevalent in official records and documents, reflecting the changing demographics of the Spanish territories in the Americas. Notable historical figures who bore the surname "MESTIZO" include:

1. Juan Mestizo (c. 1500-1570), a renowned interpreter and cultural mediator between the Spanish and Indigenous populations in Mexico during the early years of the Spanish conquest.

2. María Mestiza (c. 1550-1620), a prominent artist and painter from Lima, Peru, known for her religious works and portraits depicting the diverse cultural landscape of colonial Latin America.

3. Pedro Mestizo (c. 1590-1658), a Spanish explorer and cartographer who contributed to the mapping of the Amazon basin and the interior regions of South America.

4. Juana Mestiza (c. 1630-1695), a renowned healer and herbalist from Puebla, Mexico, whose knowledge of traditional Indigenous medicines was highly sought after during her time.

5. Diego Mestizo (c. 1700-1780), a prominent landowner and rancher in the region of present-day Argentina, whose vast estates played a significant role in the local economy and social life of the colonial era.

While the surname "MESTIZO" is rooted in the colonial past, it continues to be a part of the diverse cultural heritage of Latin America, reflecting the complex intermingling of European and Indigenous influences that have shaped the region's history and identity.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Mestizo

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

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

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

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