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

Monterey, 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 Monterey surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Monterey in America

Monterey is the 160975th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Monterey surname appeared 100 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 Monterey.

The history of the last name Monterey

The surname Monterey is of Spanish origin and is derived from the place name "Monterrey" in Mexico. The name likely originated in the 16th or 17th century during the Spanish colonization of Mexico.

The word "Monterrey" is believed to have come from the Spanish words "monte" meaning mountain and "rey" meaning king, referring to a kingly mountain or mountain of the king. This suggests that the name may have been associated with a prominent mountain or geographic feature in the area.

Historical records show that the name Monterey first appeared in documents related to the founding of the city of Monterrey in the state of Nuevo León, Mexico, in the late 16th century. The city was established by Diego de Montemayor in 1596, and it is possible that some of the early settlers or administrators took on the name Monterey or variations of it.

One of the earliest recorded examples of the surname Monterey dates back to the late 17th century, when a man named Juan Monterey was listed as a landowner in the region around the city of Monterrey. In the early 18th century, a Spanish soldier named Pedro Monterey served in the Spanish army during the War of the Quadruple Alliance (1718-1720).

In the 19th century, a notable bearer of the name was Mariano Monterey, a Mexican general who fought in the Mexican-American War (1846-1848). He was born in 1796 and died in 1853. Another famous individual with the surname Monterey was Maria Monterey, a Spanish painter who lived in the late 19th century and was known for her portraits and landscape paintings.

Other historical figures with the surname Monterey include Santiago Monterey, a Spanish explorer who led expeditions in South America in the late 18th century, and Francisca Monterey, a Mexican writer and activist in the early 20th century who advocated for women's rights and education.

While the surname Monterey has its roots in Mexico and Spanish colonization, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and immigration. However, the name remains closely tied to its origins and the historical significance of the city of Monterrey in Mexico.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Monterey

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

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

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

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