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

Montalvo, 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 Montalvo surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Montalvo in America

Montalvo is the 1531st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Montalvo surname appeared 23,454 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 8 people would have the surname Montalvo.

We can also compare 2010 data for Montalvo 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 Montalvo

The surname Montalvo is of Spanish origin, with its roots traced back to the medieval era. It is a compound name derived from the words "monte" and "alvo," which loosely translate to "white hill" or "white mountain." This name was initially used to refer to people who resided near or owned property situated on white hills or mountains, likely in reference to the terrain's appearance or geological features.

The earliest recorded instances of the Montalvo surname can be found in various historical documents from the 13th and 14th centuries, particularly in regions such as Castile and Andalusia. These documents include land records, tax rolls, and other legal proceedings that mention individuals bearing this surname.

One of the earliest known Montalvos was Garci Fernández de Montalvo, a 15th-century Spanish author and jurist born around 1450. He is best known for his literary work "Las Sergas de Esplandián," a continuation of the famous novel "Amadís de Gaula."

Another notable figure was Alonso Díaz de Montalvo, a 15th-century Spanish jurist and scholar born in Arévalo, Castile, around 1405. He is renowned for his legal treatises and commentaries on Spanish law, which were widely influential during the Renaissance period.

In the 16th century, Francisca de Montalvo y Guzmán, born around 1510 in Seville, achieved recognition as a writer and poet. Her works, while not widely known today, were celebrated during her lifetime and provided valuable insights into the cultural and literary landscape of the time.

Moving to the 17th century, Juan de Montalvo y Girón, born in 1620 in Córdoba, was a prominent Spanish military leader who served in various campaigns during the Thirty Years' War and the Franco-Spanish War.

In the 18th century, Manuel de Montalvo y Ambulodi, born in 1717 in Madrid, was a notable Spanish diplomat and politician who held influential positions in the Spanish government and played a significant role in shaping foreign policy during his time.

The Montalvo surname has also been associated with various place names throughout Spain, such as the town of Montalvo in the province of Cuenca and the municipality of Montalvo in the province of Teruel. These places may have contributed to the spread and adoption of the surname in their respective regions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Montalvo

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

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

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

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