2000
#135,837
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Montanya
A surname derived from a geographical place name referring to a mountain or mountainous region.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 115 Americans carry the last name Montanya. That puts it at #155,682 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,980,473 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Montanya surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
115
1 in 2,980,473
Census rank
#155,682
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
100
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 100 bearers of the surname Montanya in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 155682nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Montanya, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (24.0%) and Black (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Montanya
The surname Montanya originates from Spain, specifically the Catalonia region, and dates back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Catalan word "muntanya," which means "mountain." This suggests that the name was likely given to someone who lived near or in a mountainous area, or perhaps had a connection to the mountains in some way.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Montanya can be found in the Catalan census records of the 13th century. During this time, the surname was often spelled as "Muntanya" or "Muntaña," reflecting the regional language and pronunciation.
In the 15th century, the name appears in several historical documents from the region, including property records and municipal archives. One notable figure was Joan Montanya, a wealthy landowner and merchant from Barcelona, who lived from 1432 to 1498.
As the name spread beyond Catalonia, it underwent various spelling variations, such as "Montaña" in Spanish-speaking regions and "Montanha" in Portuguese-speaking areas. This was likely due to regional dialects and the influence of different languages.
In the 16th century, a prominent figure with the surname Montanya was Diego Montanya, a Spanish explorer and navigator who accompanied Hernán Cortés in the conquest of Mexico. He was born in 1490 and played a significant role in the exploration and colonization of the Americas.
Another notable individual was Beatriz Montanya, a Spanish painter and artist who lived from 1543 to 1612. She was known for her religious paintings and was commissioned to create works for several churches and monasteries in Spain.
In the 18th century, the name Montanya appeared in various literary works and historical records from Spain and its colonies. One notable figure was Miguel Montanya, a Spanish soldier and author who fought in the Spanish-American War and wrote several books about his experiences, including "Memorias de un Soldado" (Memoirs of a Soldier), published in 1804.
The surname Montanya also has a presence in other parts of Europe, particularly in Italy and France, where it may have been adopted by families with Spanish or Catalan roots. In France, the name is sometimes spelled as "Montagne," reflecting the French language's influence.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Montanya
Among Census respondents with the surname Montanya, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (24.0%) and Black (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Montanya bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Montanya surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White73.0% · 73
- Hispanic or Latino24.0% · 24
- Black or African American1.0% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1
- Two or more races1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Montanya
Montanya appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#143,149
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
+2 bearers (+1.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 7,312 places
2020
#155,682
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
-16 bearers (-13.8%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 12,533 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #135,837 | 114 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #143,149 | 116 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+1.8%) | Down 7,312 places |
| 2020 | #155,682 | 100 | 0.03 | -16 bearers (-13.8%) | Down 12,533 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Montanya surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #143,149 | #155,682 | -8.8% |
| Count | 116 | 100 | -13.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -16.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Montanya bearers went from 116 to 100 (-13.8% change). The surname moved down 12,533 positions in the national ranking, going from #143,149 to #155,682.
FAQ
Montanya surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Montanya?
Name Census estimates that about 115 living Americans carry the surname Montanya. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,980,473 residents.
How common is Montanya?
Montanya ranks #155,682 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 100 people with the surname Montanya. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (115), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Montanya.
Has Montanya become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Montanya went from 116 recorded bearers to 100. That is a decrease of 16 (-13.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #143,149 to #155,682.
What does the Census say about the background of Montanya?
Among Census respondents with the surname Montanya, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (24.0%) and Black (1.0%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Montanya in the 2020 Census, accounting for 73.0% (73 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Montanya appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (73.0%), Hispanic (24.0%), Black (1.0%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Montanya (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Montanya mean?
A surname derived from a geographical place name referring to a mountain or mountainous region. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Montanya (0.03 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How common is the surname Montanya?
If you just want to know how many Americans have the surname Montanya, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.