Miranda Last Name Popularity, Meaning and Origin

In this article we'll look at the origin and meaning of the surname Miranda and how popular it is in the United States. We'll also look at the race and ethnic origin of people in the United States who are named Miranda.

Miranda, like all of the 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 Miranda surname is from the 2010 census data.

Unlocking Your Past (On Sale!)

Discover the untold stories of your family and feel the heartwarming connection to your ancestors.

My new eBook is a comprehensive guide to family history research that helps you turn the complex task of tracing your family tree into a manageable and rewarding journey.

Experience the joy of piecing together the puzzle using historical records, online tools, and DNA research and the pride of preserving these stories for future generations of your family!

Buy Now (50% Discount) →

What is the Origin and Meaning of the Last Name Miranda?

The surname Miranda originates from the Iberian peninsula where it seems to derive as a habitual name. As a place name, Miranda is found in both Portugal and Spain and may derive from the Latin word Mirandus which means “viewpoint" or "lookout."

As a habitual surname, it was first bestowed upon people who were born or lived in a place that bore the name Miranda. Original forms of the name would have indicated a forename followed by a name that translates as “of Miranda.” As the centuries pass the name would pass down the generations to offspring who were not born in that place so the ”of” aspect would be dropped.

Another source for the name may come from the northeastern Spanish word Miralla which translates as “Watchtower" or "lookout place.” This again would be a habitual naming practice that may also relate to a profession involving serving as a lookout or protector.

Juan García de Miranda (1677–1749) was a baroque period painter and an official painter to King Philip V of Spain. A producer of devotional pieces, Miranda was born with only one hand, making use of his stump to hold pencils as he worked. After a fire at the Alcazar in Madrid Miranda was hired to clean and restore artwork. Juan Garcia did such an exemplary job that in 1735 he was appointed as painter-in-ordinary to the king.

Nicolás Zúñiga y Miranda (13 May 1865 – 8 July 1925) was a Mexican born eccentric who was a multiple-time candidate in the country's presidential elections. Miranda’s first claim to fame was when he alleged that he had invented a device to predict earthquakes. After successfully predicting an earthquake he gained great attention. In his next prediction, he claimed a volcano would erupt and people actually evacuated based on his prediction. This did not come to pass and Miranda quickly became a figure of ridicule.

Where Does Miranda Rank in the Most Common U.S. Names?

According to the data, Miranda is ranked #330 in terms of the most common surnames in America.

The Miranda surname appeared 93,628 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 31.74 would have the surname Miranda.

We can also compare 2010 data for Miranda 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.

Race and Ethnic Origin of People with the Last Name Miranda

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

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: "White only", "Black only", "American Indian and Alaskan Native only", "Asian and Pacific Islander only", "Two or More Races", and "Hispanic".

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Miranda was:

• 12.32%, or 11,535 total occurrences, were "Non-Hispanic White Only".
• 1.34%, or 1,255 total occurrences, were "Non-Hispanic Black Only".
• 4.21%, or 3,942 total occurrences, were "Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only".
• 0.42%, or 393 total occurrences, were "Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native".
• 0.75%, or 702 total occurrences, were "Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races".
• 80.97%, or 75,811 total occurrences, were "Hispanic Origin".

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

Data Source(s)

All of the data on this page is sourced from the Decennial Census survey, from the United States Census Bureau.