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

Montez, 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 Montez surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Montez in America

Montez is the 3539th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Montez surname appeared 10,097 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Montez.

We can also compare 2010 data for Montez 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 Montez

The surname Montez has its origins in Spain, with records indicating its presence as early as the 11th century. It is derived from the Spanish word "monte," meaning mountain or hill, and is likely associated with someone who lived near or owned land near a prominent mountain or hill. The name may also be connected to the Spanish city of Montesa, located in the Valencia region.

One of the earliest known references to the Montez surname can be found in the Becerro de las Behetrías, a medieval manuscript from the 14th century that recorded the names of landowners and their properties in the Kingdom of Castile. The document mentions several individuals with the Montez surname, suggesting it was already well-established in certain regions of Spain.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, as Spanish explorers and colonizers ventured across the Atlantic, the Montez surname spread to various parts of the Americas. Notable individuals with this surname include Lola Montez (1821-1861), an Irish-born dancer and actress who became famous in Europe and later traveled to the United States, and María Montez (1912-1951), a Mexican-American actress known for her roles in adventure films.

In the 18th century, José María Montez (1749-1804) was a Spanish military officer and governor of the Captaincy General of Guatemala, while in the 19th century, José María Montez y Pavón (1810-1889) was a Honduran politician and president of Honduras from 1858 to 1859. Another notable figure was María de la Soledad Montez y Monroy (1808-1890), a Venezuelan educator and advocate for women's education.

The Montez surname has also been present in various literary works, such as the novel "Montez the Blood-Drinker" by Aly Monroe, published in 1932. While the name's origins can be traced back to Spain, it has since spread across the globe, with individuals bearing this surname found in many countries, particularly those with historical ties to Spanish colonization and migration.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Montez

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

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

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

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