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

Montesclaros, 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 Montesclaros surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Montesclaros in America

Montesclaros is the 139228th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Montesclaros surname appeared 120 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 Montesclaros.

The history of the last name Montesclaros

The surname Montesclaros has its origins in Spain, emerging during the medieval period. It is a topographic name derived from the Spanish words "monte" meaning "mountain" and "claro" meaning "clear" or "bright." This suggests that the name likely referred to a person who lived near a prominent, bright, or clear mountain.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Montesclaros dates back to the 14th century, appearing in various historical documents from the region of Castile, Spain. It is believed that the name may have originated in this area, particularly in the provinces of Burgos or Soria, where numerous place names incorporate the word "monte."

In the 15th century, a notable figure bearing the name Montesclaros was Juan de Montesclaros, a Spanish nobleman and military commander who played a role in the Reconquista, the campaign to reclaim territories from the Moors.

During the 16th century, the name gained prominence with the birth of Marqués de Montesclaros, Juan de Mendoza y Luna (1571-1628), a Spanish diplomat and viceroy of Peru. He served as the 13th viceroy of Peru from 1607 to 1615 and was known for his efforts in promoting education and infrastructure development in the region.

Another notable figure was Francisco de Montesclaros (1590-1670), a Spanish Franciscan friar and missionary who traveled to the Philippines in the early 17th century. He is recognized for his contributions to the establishment of the Catholic Church in the Philippines and his efforts in evangelizing the indigenous populations.

In the 18th century, Gaspar de Montesclaros y Marquina (1702-1785) was a Spanish military officer and colonial administrator who served as the Governor of Puerto Rico from 1770 to 1776. His tenure was marked by efforts to strengthen the island's defenses and improve infrastructure.

While the surname Montesclaros is primarily associated with Spain and its former colonies, it has also spread to other parts of the world through migration and exploration. However, its roots can be traced back to the mountainous regions of medieval Spain, where the name likely originated from a descriptive reference to a person's dwelling near a prominent, clear, or bright mountain.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Montesclaros

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!