2000
#901
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 35,196
First available Census row
Per 100,000 13.05
Uncommon Last name
Montes
A topographic surname of Spanish origin, referring to someone who lived near mountains or hills.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 54,351 Americans carry the last name Montes. That puts it at #705 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 15.86 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 6,306 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Montes 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 Montes with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
54K
1 in 6,306
Census rank
#705
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
15.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
47K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 47,397 bearers of the surname Montes in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 15.86 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 705th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Montes, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 92.3%. The next largest groups are White (5.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Montes
The surname Montes originates from Spain and is derived from the Spanish word "monte," meaning mountain or hill. It is believed to have first appeared in the 12th century, during the Christian Reconquest of Spain from the Moors.
This surname was likely given to families living near a prominent mountain or hill, or those who moved from one mountainous region to another. Some of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in historical documents from the regions of Catalonia, Aragon, and Castile.
One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Don Pedro Montes, a Spanish nobleman who lived in the 13th century and served as a military commander during the reign of King Alfonso X. Another notable figure was Juan Montes, a 15th-century explorer who accompanied Christopher Columbus on his second voyage to the Americas in 1493.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Montes surname began to spread beyond Spain to other parts of Europe and the Americas, as Spanish explorers, soldiers, and settlers established colonies in these regions. In Mexico, for example, the name can be traced back to the early days of the Spanish conquest, with several individuals bearing the surname serving under Hernán Cortés.
One of the most famous bearers of the Montes surname was Francisco Montes de Oca, a 17th-century Spanish military leader and governor of New Mexico from 1667 to 1671. He played a crucial role in defending the region against Native American uprisings and expanding Spanish control over the area.
In the 18th century, Francisco Montes y Delgado (1720-1786) was a renowned Spanish painter and engraver, known for his religious works and portraits. He was appointed as a court painter by King Charles III and his works can be found in museums and churches throughout Spain.
Another notable figure was Isidro Montes de Oca (1789-1847), a Mexican politician and military leader who fought in the Mexican War of Independence against Spain. He later served as the governor of the state of Guanajuato and played a significant role in the country's early years as an independent nation.
As the surname Montes spread across different countries and regions, it naturally evolved with varying spellings and pronunciations, reflecting local linguistic influences and customs. However, its core meaning and connection to mountainous or hilly regions remained constant throughout its history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Montes
Among Census respondents with the surname Montes, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 92.3%. The next largest groups are White (5.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Montes 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 Montes surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino92.3% · 43,729
- White5.3% · 2,528
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 479
- Black or African American0.7% · 332
- Two or more races0.4% · 172
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 157
Timeline
Historical Census data for Montes
Montes 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
#723
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 48,142
+12,946 bearers (+36.8%)
Per 100,000 16.32
Rank movement Up 178 places
2020
#705
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 47,397
-745 bearers (-1.5%)
Per 100,000 15.86
Rank movement Up 18 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #901 | 35,196 | 13.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #723 | 48,142 | 16.32 | +12,946 bearers (+36.8%) | Up 178 places |
| 2020 | #705 | 47,397 | 15.86 | -745 bearers (-1.5%) | Up 18 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 Montes 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 | #723 | #705 | 2.5% |
| Count | 48,142 | 47,397 | -1.5% |
| Per 100K | 16.32 | 15.86 | -2.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Montes bearers went from 48,142 to 47,397 (-1.5% change). The surname moved up 18 positions in the national ranking, going from #723 to #705.
FAQ
Montes surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Montes?
Name Census estimates that about 54,351 living Americans carry the surname Montes. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 6,306 residents.
How common is Montes?
Montes ranks #705 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 15.86 per 100,000 residents, which is about 16 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 47,397 people with the surname Montes. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (54,351), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 15.86 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 15.86 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 16 of them to have the surname Montes.
Has Montes become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Montes went from 48,142 recorded bearers to 47,397. That is a decrease of 745 (-1.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #723 to #705.
What does the Census say about the background of Montes?
Among Census respondents with the surname Montes, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 92.3%. The next largest groups are White (5.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%). 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 Montes in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.3% (43,729 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Montes appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (92.3%), White (5.3%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%). 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 Montes (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 Montes mean?
A topographic surname of Spanish origin, referring to someone who lived near mountains or hills. 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 Montes (15.86 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 Montes?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.