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

Miranda, 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 Miranda surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Miranda in America

Miranda is the 330th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

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 32 people 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.

The history of the last name Miranda

The surname Miranda has its origins in Spain and Portugal, where it first emerged in the medieval period. It is derived from the Latin word 'mirandus', which means admirable or wonderful. The name likely originated as a nickname or descriptive term for someone who was regarded as admirable or noteworthy in some way.

Miranda is also the name of a town in northern Portugal, near the border with Spain. It is possible that the surname initially arose as a locative name, indicating someone who came from or lived in the town of Miranda. Variations in spelling over the centuries have included Mirandes, Mirando, and Mirandés.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Miranda surname can be found in the Rolls of Battell Abbey, a medieval manuscript dating back to the late 13th century. This document lists a Hugo de Miranda among the residents of Sussex, England.

In the 15th century, a prominent Spanish family bearing the Miranda name held significant influence and power in the region of Asturias. One notable member was Pedro de Miranda (1443-1508), a Spanish nobleman and military leader who served as Governor of the Canary Islands.

During the Age of Exploration, the Miranda name spread to the Americas and other parts of the world as Spanish and Portuguese explorers, settlers, and conquistadors established colonies and territories. One such individual was Francisco de Miranda (1750-1816), a Venezuelan revolutionary and precursor to the independence movements in Latin America.

In Italy, the Miranda family held aristocratic status, with members such as Gian Girolamo Miranda (1569-1642), an Italian painter and architect active in Naples during the Baroque period. Another noteworthy bearer of the name was Francisco de Miranda y Paz (1644-1723), a Spanish architect and sculptor who worked in Mexico during the colonial era.

Other historical figures with the Miranda surname include Gonzalo de Miranda (1514-1597), a Spanish military officer and author, and Tomás de Miranda (1737-1816), a Spanish diplomat and writer who served as ambassador to various European courts.

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:

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

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