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

Monterroso, 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 Monterroso surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Monterroso in America

Monterroso is the 10763rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Monterroso surname appeared 2,964 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Monterroso.

We can also compare 2010 data for Monterroso 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 Monterroso

The surname Monterroso is of Spanish origin, tracing its roots back to the Iberian Peninsula during the medieval period. It is a compound word derived from the Spanish words "monte" meaning mountain and "roso" meaning pink or rosy.

This combination suggests the name may have originated as a descriptive term for a person residing near a rose-tinted mountain or a settlement with a similar name. Alternatively, it could have been a nickname given to someone with a rosy complexion or a personal characteristic associated with the color pink.

One of the earliest known references to the Monterroso surname can be found in the Libro de las Behetrías de Castilla, a 14th-century manuscript that recorded the legal status of towns and villages in the Kingdom of Castile. This document mentions a place called "Monterroso" in the region of Salamanca, suggesting the name's geographical origins.

In the 16th century, the name appeared in various records related to the Spanish conquest and colonization of the Americas. Notable bearers of the Monterroso surname during this period include Juan de Monterroso, a Spanish conquistador and explorer who participated in the conquest of Peru in the 1530s.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Monterroso surname gained prominence in various parts of the Spanish Empire, including Mexico and Guatemala. One famous bearer of the name was Antonio de Monterroso y Martínez, a renowned architect and military engineer who designed several fortifications and public buildings in Guatemala City in the late 17th century.

In the 19th century, the Monterroso surname was particularly prevalent in Central America. Joaquín Monterroso, a Guatemalan writer and diplomat born in 1859, was a prominent figure in the region's literary and political circles. He served as Guatemala's ambassador to several countries and published works on history and literature.

Another notable figure with the Monterroso surname was Augusto Monterroso, a Guatemalan writer and diplomat born in 1921. He is considered one of the most influential writers in the Spanish language and is best known for his short stories and literary essays. Monterroso's works explored themes of identity, language, and the human condition with a unique blend of humor and philosophical depth.

Throughout its history, the Monterroso surname has been associated with various professions and fields, including exploration, architecture, literature, and diplomacy. While its origins can be traced back to medieval Spain, the name has left an indelible mark across the Spanish-speaking world.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Monterroso

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

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

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

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