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

Moreno, 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 Moreno surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Moreno in America

Moreno is the 124th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Moreno surname appeared 196,925 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 67 people would have the surname Moreno.

We can also compare 2010 data for Moreno 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 Moreno

The surname Moreno originates from Spain, where it first appeared in the 13th century. It is derived from the Spanish word "moreno," which means "dark-skinned" or "swarthy." The name likely referred to someone with a darker complexion, a physical trait that was distinctive in certain regions of Spain.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in medieval Spanish documents and records. For example, a certain Juan Moreno was mentioned in a land grant from the year 1275, issued by King Alfonso X of Castile.

The name Moreno has a rich historical presence in various parts of Spain. In the region of Andalusia, the name was particularly prevalent, reflecting the diverse cultural influences that shaped the area over centuries of Moorish occupation.

One notable figure bearing the surname Moreno was Pedro Moreno, a Spanish soldier and explorer who accompanied Hernán Cortés during the conquest of Mexico in the early 16th century. Another significant individual was Luis Moreno, a 17th-century Spanish architect who designed several notable buildings in Madrid.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the name Moreno was also found in various Spanish settlements in the Americas, as explorers and colonists from Spain established new communities in the New World. For instance, a Juan Moreno was among the early settlers of Santa Fe, New Mexico, in the late 16th century.

In the realm of literature, the Spanish playwright and poet Agustín Moreto y Cabaña (1618-1669) was a prominent figure of the Spanish Golden Age. His works, including plays such as "El desdén con el desdén" (Disdain Met with Disdain), have been widely celebrated and studied.

Another notable individual with the surname Moreno was Mariano Moreno (1778-1811), an Argentine lawyer, journalist, and politician who played a crucial role in the Argentine War of Independence from Spain. He is considered one of the founding fathers of Argentina.

As the centuries passed, the Moreno surname spread globally, carried by Spanish emigrants and their descendants to various parts of the world, including Latin America, the Philippines, and other regions influenced by Spanish colonization and cultural exchange.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Moreno

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

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

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

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