2000
#2,761
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,997
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.45
Uncommon Last name
Montero
A toponymic surname referring to someone from any of various places named Montero, derived from the Spanish word for "hunter."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 20,227 Americans carry the last name Montero. That puts it at #2,000 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 5.90 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 16,945 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Montero 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Montero with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
20K
1 in 16,945
Census rank
#2,000
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
5.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
18K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 17,639 bearers of the surname Montero in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 5.90 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2000th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Montero, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 85.5%. The next largest groups are White (8.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Montero
The surname Montero originated in Spain during the medieval period. It is derived from the Spanish word "montero," which means "huntsman" or "forester." This name initially referred to individuals who lived in or near forests and mountains, and whose occupations involved hunting or forestry.
The earliest known record of the Montero surname dates back to the 13th century in the region of Castile, where it was often associated with individuals who served as huntsmen or foresters for the nobility. One notable example is Rodrigo Montero, who was a huntsman in the court of King Alfonso X of Castile in the mid-13th century.
In the 15th century, the Montero surname began to appear in official records and documents across various regions of Spain. For instance, in the "Libro Becerro de las Behetrías de Castilla" (Book of the Lordships of Castile), a document from the reign of King Pedro I, several individuals with the surname Montero are mentioned as landowners and taxpayers.
As the surname spread throughout Spain, it also acquired variations in spelling, such as Monteros, Monterro, and Montera. Some of these variations were influenced by the regional dialects and linguistic variations across different parts of the country.
One notable individual with the Montero surname was Juan Montero, a Spanish conquistador who participated in the conquest of Mexico alongside Hernán Cortés in the early 16th century. He was born in Seville around 1490 and played a significant role in the fall of the Aztec Empire.
Another prominent figure with this surname was Pedro Montero, a Spanish painter and sculptor who lived in the 17th century. He was known for his religious artworks and was commissioned to create several altarpieces and sculptures for churches in Seville and surrounding areas. Montero was born in Seville in 1619 and died in the same city in 1678.
In the 18th century, the Montero surname gained prominence in the Americas, particularly in Mexico and other parts of Latin America, as Spanish colonists and settlers brought the name with them during the colonial era.
One notable individual from this period was José María Montero, a Mexican military officer and politician who played a significant role in the Mexican War of Independence. He was born in Tlaxcala, Mexico, in 1784 and fought alongside Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, one of the leaders of the independence movement.
Throughout history, the Montero surname has been associated with various professions and occupations, ranging from hunters and foresters to artists, military personnel, and political leaders. While its origins can be traced back to medieval Spain, the name has since spread globally, reflecting the diverse and rich cultural heritage of the Spanish-speaking world.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Montero
Among Census respondents with the surname Montero, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 85.5%. The next largest groups are White (8.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Montero 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 Montero surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino85.5% · 15,076
- White8.7% · 1,532
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.6% · 631
- Black or African American1.3% · 225
- Two or more races0.8% · 147
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 28
Timeline
Historical Census data for Montero
Montero 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
#2,090
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 17,314
+5,317 bearers (+44.3%)
Per 100,000 5.87
Rank movement Up 671 places
2020
#2,000
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 17,639
+325 bearers (+1.9%)
Per 100,000 5.90
Rank movement Up 90 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,761 | 11,997 | 4.45 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,090 | 17,314 | 5.87 | +5,317 bearers (+44.3%) | Up 671 places |
| 2020 | #2,000 | 17,639 | 5.90 | +325 bearers (+1.9%) | Up 90 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 Montero 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 | #2,090 | #2,000 | 4.3% |
| Count | 17,314 | 17,639 | 1.9% |
| Per 100K | 5.87 | 5.90 | 0.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Montero bearers went from 17,314 to 17,639 (+1.9% change). The surname moved up 90 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,090 to #2,000.
FAQ
Montero surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Montero?
Name Census estimates that about 20,227 living Americans carry the surname Montero. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 16,945 residents.
How common is Montero?
Montero ranks #2,000 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 5.90 per 100,000 residents, which is about 6 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 17,639 people with the surname Montero. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (20,227), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 5.9 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 5.90 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 6 of them to have the surname Montero.
Has Montero become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Montero went from 17,314 recorded bearers to 17,639. That is an increase of 325 (+1.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #2,090 to #2,000.
What does the Census say about the background of Montero?
Among Census respondents with the surname Montero, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 85.5%. The next largest groups are White (8.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.6%). 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 Montero in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.5% (15,076 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Montero appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (85.5%), White (8.7%), Asian/Pacific Islander (3.6%). 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 Montero (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 Montero mean?
A toponymic surname referring to someone from any of various places named Montero, derived from the Spanish word for "hunter." 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 Montero (5.90 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 Montero?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.