2000
#3,921
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,322
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.08
Uncommon Last name
Montez
A surname of Spanish origin referring to someone who lived near or on a mountain or hill.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 10,838 Americans carry the last name Montez. That puts it at #3,661 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.16 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 31,625 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Montez 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.
Bearers in the US
11K
1 in 31,625
Census rank
#3,661
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
9.5K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 9,451 bearers of the surname Montez in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.16 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3661st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Montez, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 85.5%. The next largest groups are White (10.5%) and Black (1.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Montez
Among Census respondents with the surname Montez, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 85.5%. The next largest groups are White (10.5%) and Black (1.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Montez 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 Montez surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino85.5% · 8,085
- White10.5% · 993
- Black or African American1.2% · 118
- Two or more races1.2% · 118
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 72
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 65
Timeline
Historical Census data for Montez
Montez 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
#3,539
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,097
+1,775 bearers (+21.3%)
Per 100,000 3.42
Rank movement Up 382 places
2020
#3,661
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,451
-646 bearers (-6.4%)
Per 100,000 3.16
Rank movement Down 122 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,921 | 8,322 | 3.08 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,539 | 10,097 | 3.42 | +1,775 bearers (+21.3%) | Up 382 places |
| 2020 | #3,661 | 9,451 | 3.16 | -646 bearers (-6.4%) | Down 122 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 Montez 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 | #3,539 | #3,661 | -3.4% |
| Count | 10,097 | 9,451 | -6.4% |
| Per 100K | 3.42 | 3.16 | -7.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Montez bearers went from 10,097 to 9,451 (-6.4% change). The surname moved down 122 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,539 to #3,661.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Montez
FAQ
Montez surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Montez?
Name Census estimates that about 10,838 living Americans carry the surname Montez. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 31,625 residents.
How common is Montez?
Montez ranks #3,661 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.16 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 9,451 people with the surname Montez. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (10,838), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.16 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.16 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Montez.
Has Montez become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Montez went from 10,097 recorded bearers to 9,451. That is a decrease of 646 (-6.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,539 to #3,661.
What does the Census say about the background of Montez?
Among Census respondents with the surname Montez, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 85.5%. The next largest groups are White (10.5%) and Black (1.2%). 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 Montez in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.5% (8,085 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Montez appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (85.5%), White (10.5%), Black (1.2%). 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 Montez (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 Montez mean?
A surname of Spanish origin referring to someone who lived near or on a mountain or hill. 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 Montez (3.16 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 are called Montez?
Want to know how many people have the surname Montez? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.