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

Montijo, 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 Montijo surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Montijo in America

Montijo is the 10663rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Montijo surname appeared 3,000 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 Montijo.

We can also compare 2010 data for Montijo 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 Montijo

The surname "Montijo" has its origins in Spain, tracing back to the late medieval era. It is derived from the Spanish place name "Montijo," a town located in the province of Badajoz, Extremadura region. The name itself comes from the Latin words "mons" meaning "mountain" and "tilia" meaning "linden tree," suggesting a connection to a mountain or hill with linden trees.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the surname "Montijo" can be found in the "Biblioteca Nacional de España" (National Library of Spain) archives, which contain documents dating back to the 15th century. These records include references to individuals bearing the name, indicating its usage during that period.

In the 16th century, the name appeared in the "Registro de la Población de Castilla" (Registry of the Population of Castile), a census-like document that recorded the names of families living in various regions of Spain. This suggests that the surname had already established itself as a prominent one by that time.

The 17th century saw the rise of a notable figure named María Francisca de Montijo y Portocarrero (1610-1686), who was a Spanish noblewoman and the Countess of Montijo. Her family's influence and prominence likely contributed to the further spread and recognition of the surname.

Another historical figure of note was María Eugenia de Montijo (1826-1920), who was a Spanish aristocrat and the wife of Napoleon III, Emperor of France. She was born in Granada, Spain, and her marriage to Napoleon III in 1853 brought the name "Montijo" into the international spotlight.

Other notable individuals with the surname "Montijo" include:

1. Juan de Montijo (1470-1541), a Spanish military commander and explorer who participated in the conquest of Mexico.
2. Francisco de Montijo y Álvarez de Toledo (1556-1625), a Spanish nobleman and military officer who served as the Viceroy of Valencia.
3. Eugenio de Montijo y Guzmán (1768-1834), a Spanish politician and diplomat who served as the ambassador to France.
4. María Luisa de Montijo y Rebolledo (1809-1891), a Spanish noblewoman and the mother of Empress María Eugenia de Montijo.
5. Joaquín de Montijo y Gómez-Barreda (1872-1944), a Spanish politician and diplomat who served as the ambassador to the United States.

These historical figures and references highlight the long-standing presence and significance of the surname "Montijo" in Spain and its connections to nobility, military, and diplomatic circles.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Montijo

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

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

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

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