2000
#5,105
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,308
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.34
Rare Last name
Montelongo
A habitational surname referring to someone from any of the various places named Montelongo in Italy or Spain.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 9,415 Americans carry the last name Montelongo. That puts it at #4,177 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.75 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 36,405 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Montelongo 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
9.4K
1 in 36,405
Census rank
#4,177
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
8.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 8,210 bearers of the surname Montelongo in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.75 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4177th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Montelongo, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 94.2%. The next largest groups are White (4.6%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Montelongo
The surname Montelongo is of Spanish origin, originating in the Iberian Peninsula during the medieval period. It is derived from the combination of the Spanish words "monte" meaning mountain or hill, and "longo" meaning long, suggesting a connection to a geographical location characterized by a long mountain or hill range.
The earliest known records of the Montelongo surname can be traced back to the 13th century, where it appeared in various historical manuscripts and documents from regions such as Castilla, Andalucía, and Extremadura in Spain. Some of these early mentions include references to individuals bearing the name in tax records, property deeds, and legal proceedings.
In the 15th century, the Montelongo surname gained prominence when it was associated with a noble family from the province of Badajoz in Extremadura. This family held significant land and influence in the region, and their name was often recorded in local chronicles and historical accounts of the time.
One notable figure bearing the Montelongo surname was Diego de Montelongo, a Spanish conquistador who participated in the conquest of Mexico alongside Hernán Cortés in the early 16th century. He was born in Badajoz, Spain, around 1490 and played a crucial role in several battles against the Aztec Empire.
Another prominent individual with the Montelongo surname was Pedro de Montelongo, a Spanish military commander and governor who served in New Spain (present-day Mexico) during the late 16th century. He was born in Seville, Spain, around 1535 and is renowned for his contributions to the establishment of Spanish rule in the region.
In the 17th century, the Montelongo surname was found in various parts of colonial Spanish America, particularly in regions such as Mexico, Guatemala, and Peru. Records from this period indicate that individuals bearing the name were involved in various sectors, including agriculture, mining, and local administration.
One notable figure from this era was Alonso de Montelongo, a Spanish explorer and cartographer born in Seville, Spain, around 1610. He is credited with mapping and documenting several unexplored regions of South America, contributing significantly to the geographical knowledge of the time.
During the 18th and 19th centuries, the Montelongo surname continued to be present in different parts of the Spanish-speaking world, both in Europe and the Americas. Individuals bearing this name contributed to various fields, including literature, politics, and the arts.
It is important to note that while the surname Montelongo originated in Spain, its presence and distribution have expanded over the centuries due to migration and the spread of Spanish culture and influence throughout the world.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Montelongo
Among Census respondents with the surname Montelongo, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 94.2%. The next largest groups are White (4.6%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Montelongo 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 Montelongo surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino94.2% · 7,730
- White4.6% · 381
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 37
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 25
- Two or more races0.2% · 20
- Black or African American0.2% · 17
Timeline
Historical Census data for Montelongo
Montelongo 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
#4,180
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,472
+2,164 bearers (+34.3%)
Per 100,000 2.87
Rank movement Up 925 places
2020
#4,177
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,210
-262 bearers (-3.1%)
Per 100,000 2.75
Rank movement Up 3 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,105 | 6,308 | 2.34 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,180 | 8,472 | 2.87 | +2,164 bearers (+34.3%) | Up 925 places |
| 2020 | #4,177 | 8,210 | 2.75 | -262 bearers (-3.1%) | Up 3 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 Montelongo 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 | #4,180 | #4,177 | 0.1% |
| Count | 8,472 | 8,210 | -3.1% |
| Per 100K | 2.87 | 2.75 | -4.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Montelongo bearers went from 8,472 to 8,210 (-3.1% change). The surname moved up 3 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,180 to #4,177.
FAQ
Montelongo surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Montelongo?
Name Census estimates that about 9,415 living Americans carry the surname Montelongo. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 36,405 residents.
How common is Montelongo?
Montelongo ranks #4,177 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.75 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 8,210 people with the surname Montelongo. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (9,415), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.75 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.75 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Montelongo.
Has Montelongo become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Montelongo went from 8,472 recorded bearers to 8,210. That is a decrease of 262 (-3.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #4,180 to #4,177.
What does the Census say about the background of Montelongo?
Among Census respondents with the surname Montelongo, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 94.2%. The next largest groups are White (4.6%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.5%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Montelongo in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.2% (7,730 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Montelongo appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (94.2%), White (4.6%), American Indian/Alaska Native (0.5%). 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 Montelongo (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 Montelongo mean?
A habitational surname referring to someone from any of the various places named Montelongo in Italy or Spain. 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 Montelongo (2.75 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 many people have the surname Montelongo?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.