Molleda last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Molleda

A surname of Spanish origin relating to a small hill or mound.

Molleda, 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 Molleda surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Molleda in America

Molleda is the 87663rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Molleda surname appeared 212 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 Molleda.

We can also compare 2010 data for Molleda 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 87663 90652 -3.35%
Count 212 189 11.47%
Proportion per 100k 0.07 0.07 0.00%

The history of the last name Molleda

The surname Molleda has its origins in Spain, with the earliest records dating back to the 14th century. It is believed to have evolved from the Spanish word "molledo," which referred to a small knoll or hill. This suggests that the name may have initially been associated with a particular geographic location or landmark.

One of the earliest documented instances of the Molleda surname can be found in a medieval manuscript from Cantabria, a region in northern Spain. The document, dated 1387, mentions a landowner named Pedro de Molleda, who owned property in the village of Molleda, located in the municipality of Torrelavega.

The Molleda surname is also closely linked to the town of Molleda, situated in the municipality of Corvera de Toranzo, in the autonomous community of Cantabria. It is speculated that the town's name, and consequently the surname, may have derived from the Latin word "mollis," meaning "soft" or "gentle," possibly referring to the rolling hills or gentle slopes in the area.

Notable individuals bearing the Molleda surname include Juan de Molleda (1510-1585), a Spanish military engineer and architect who designed several fortifications and defensive structures during the reign of Philip II. Another prominent figure was Pedro Molleda y Antolínez (1630-1698), a Spanish painter and engraver known for his religious works and portraits.

In the 19th century, José María Molleda y Clemares (1800-1867) was a prominent Spanish writer and journalist, known for his satirical works and political commentary. He played a significant role in the development of Spanish journalism during that era.

In the realm of literature, Alejandro Molleda Fernández-Llamazares (1885-1961) was a Spanish novelist and playwright, renowned for his works exploring rural life and the traditions of his native Cantabria region.

Lastly, José Molleda Andrés (1925-2008) was a Spanish businessman and entrepreneur who founded one of Spain's largest construction companies, Molleda Construcciones S.A., which played a crucial role in the country's post-war reconstruction efforts.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Molleda

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

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 Molleda was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 5.19% 11
Non-Hispanic Black Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 0.00% 0
Hispanic Origin 93.87% 199

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

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 5.19% 3.70% 33.52%
Black (S)% (S)% (S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander (S)% 0.00% (S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%
Two or More Races 0.00% (S)% (S)%
Hispanic 93.87% 95.24% -1.45%

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

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

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"Molleda last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on December 22, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/molleda-surname-popularity/.

"Molleda last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/molleda-surname-popularity/. Accessed 22 December, 2024

Molleda last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/molleda-surname-popularity/.

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