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

Moctezuma, 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 Moctezuma surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Moctezuma in America

Moctezuma is the 8775th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Moctezuma surname appeared 3,735 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Moctezuma.

We can also compare 2010 data for Moctezuma 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 Moctezuma

The surname Moctezuma originates from Mexico and can be traced back to the Nahuatl language spoken by the Aztecs in the 15th and 16th centuries. It was the name of the ninth tlatoani (ruler) of the Aztec Empire, Moctezuma II, who reigned from 1502 to 1520. The name itself is derived from the Nahuatl words "mōcuahuitl" meaning "angry lord" or "he who frowns like a lord", and "xōchitl" meaning "flower".

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Moctezuma can be found in the 16th-century codices and chronicles written by Spanish conquistadors and missionaries, such as Hernán Cortés and Bernal Díaz del Castillo, who documented their encounters with the Aztec ruler and his people.

The name Moctezuma gained prominence during the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire, when Moctezuma II was the ruler of Tenochtitlan (modern-day Mexico City). His interactions with Hernán Cortés and the subsequent fall of the Aztec Empire are well-documented in historical records.

Several other individuals throughout history have borne the surname Moctezuma, including Pedro Moctezuma, a 16th-century Spanish conquistador and son of Moctezuma II. Another notable figure was Juan Moctezuma, a 17th-century Indigenous leader who played a role in the Pueblo Revolt against Spanish colonial rule in New Mexico.

In more modern times, Moctezuma has been used as a place name, such as the city of Moctezuma, Sonora, in northwestern Mexico. It has also been the name of various educational institutions, including the Universidad Moctezuma in Mexico City.

Prominent individuals with the surname Moctezuma include:

1. Moctezuma II (c. 1466 - 1520), the ninth tlatoani (ruler) of the Aztec Empire.
2. Pedro Moctezuma (c. 1509 - c. 1570), a Spanish conquistador and son of Moctezuma II.
3. Juan Moctezuma (c. 1610 - c. 1680), an Indigenous leader and participant in the Pueblo Revolt against Spanish colonial rule in New Mexico.
4. Antonio Moctezuma Serrato (1872 - 1922), a Mexican politician and governor of the state of Oaxaca.
5. Alfonso Moctezuma (1902 - 1979), a Mexican historian and archaeologist known for his research on pre-Columbian civilizations.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Moctezuma

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

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

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

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