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

Montalva, 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 Montalva surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Montalva in America

Montalva is the 130610th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Montalva surname appeared 130 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 Montalva.

The history of the last name Montalva

The surname Montalva originates from Spain and dates back to the medieval period. It is believed to have been derived from a combination of the Spanish words "monte" meaning mountain and "alba" meaning dawn or daybreak, suggesting that the name may have referred to a person who lived near a mountain or in a place where the sunrise could be seen over the mountains.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Montalva can be found in the "Libro de la Montería" (Book of the Hunt), a 14th-century manuscript commissioned by King Alfonso XI of Castile. This document mentions a person with the surname Montalva who was associated with the hunting expeditions of the royal court.

In the 15th century, there are records of a nobleman named Juan de Montalva who served as a royal advisor to King John II of Aragon. He is mentioned in several historical documents from that period, including the "Crónica de Juan II" (Chronicle of John II).

Another notable figure with the surname Montalva was Diego de Montalva, a Spanish explorer and conquistador who participated in the conquest of Mexico alongside Hernán Cortés in the early 16th century. He is mentioned in the writings of several chroniclers of the time, such as Bernal Díaz del Castillo.

During the 17th century, a renowned scholar and writer named Fray Tomás de Montalva gained recognition for his works on theology and religious literature. He was born in Seville in 1602 and was a member of the Dominican Order.

In the 19th century, a Spanish military officer named José María Montalva y Castillo (1805-1879) played a significant role in the Carlist Wars, a series of civil wars in Spain over the issue of succession to the throne. He was a staunch supporter of the Carlist cause and is mentioned in various historical accounts of the conflicts.

Throughout its history, the surname Montalva has been associated with various places in Spain, particularly in regions such as Andalusia, Castile, and Aragon, where variations like Montalbán, Montalbano, and Montalván have also been recorded. It is a name that reflects the diverse geographical and cultural heritage of the Iberian Peninsula.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Montalva

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

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 Montalva 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.

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

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