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

Monterrey, 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 Monterrey surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Monterrey in America

Monterrey is the 48995th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Monterrey surname appeared 430 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 Monterrey.

We can also compare 2010 data for Monterrey 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 Monterrey

The surname Monterrey originated in Spain during the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the name of the city of Monterrey, located in the northern Mexican state of Nuevo León. The city's name, in turn, is thought to come from the Spanish words "monte" (mountain) and "rey" (king), likely referring to its location at the foot of the Sierra Madre Oriental mountain range.

One of the earliest known references to the surname Monterrey dates back to the 13th century, when it appeared in a document from the Kingdom of Castile. This suggests that the name may have initially been adopted by individuals or families who hailed from the region where the city of Monterrey is now situated.

In the 15th century, a nobleman named Diego de Monterrey was listed as a member of the court of King Ferdinand II of Aragon and Queen Isabella I of Castile. He is believed to have been one of the earliest notable individuals to bear the Monterrey surname.

During the Spanish colonization of the Americas, several explorers and conquistadors with the surname Monterrey were involved in the conquest and settlement of various regions in the New World. One such individual was Juan de Monterrey, who participated in the conquest of Guatemala in the early 16th century.

In the 17th century, a prominent figure with the Monterrey surname was Gaspar de Zúñiga y Acevedo, Count of Monterrey, who served as the Viceroy of New Spain (present-day Mexico) from 1595 to 1603. He played a significant role in the development of colonial administration and infrastructure in the region.

In the world of literature, the Spanish poet and dramatist Guillén de Castro y Bellvis (1569-1631) is known to have used the surname Monterrey for one of his characters in his play "Las Mocedades del Cid" (The Youthful Deeds of the Cid).

Over the centuries, the Monterrey surname has spread to various parts of the world, particularly to regions with significant Spanish influence or immigration. While the name's origins can be traced back to medieval Spain, it has since become associated with the rich cultural and historical legacy of the Americas, especially in Mexico and other Latin American countries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Monterrey

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

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

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

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