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

Mosqueira, 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 Mosqueira surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Mosqueira in America

Mosqueira is the 133863rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Mosqueira surname appeared 126 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 Mosqueira.

We can also compare 2010 data for Mosqueira 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 Mosqueira

The surname "MOSQUEIRA" originated in Spain and Portugal during the medieval period. It is believed to be a toponymic surname derived from the Spanish word "mosqueiro," which refers to a moss-covered area or a place where moss grows abundantly.

The name's roots can be traced back to the 12th century when it was first recorded in Spanish and Portuguese documents. It is likely that the surname was initially given to individuals who lived near or worked in areas with significant moss growth, such as damp forests or wetlands.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname "MOSQUEIRA" can be found in the 1237 Tamleiros de Toledo, a document containing land records in the city of Toledo, Spain. The record mentions a certain Juan Mosqueira, who was listed as a landowner in the region.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in the Cantigas de Santa Maria, a collection of religious poems and songs written in Galician-Portuguese during the reign of King Alfonso X of Castile (1221-1284). One of the poems mentions a certain Pedro Mosqueira, who may have been a musician or a patron of the arts.

During the 15th and 16th centuries, the name "MOSQUEIRA" became more widespread in Spain and Portugal, with several notable individuals bearing the surname. One of them was Martín Mosqueira (c. 1490-1560), a Spanish explorer and navigator who accompanied Hernán Cortés on his expedition to Mexico in 1519.

Another prominent figure was Joana Mosqueira (c. 1520-1580), a Portuguese noblewoman and landowner who was known for her philanthropic efforts and support of the arts. She commissioned several churches and monasteries in the region of Alentejo, Portugal.

In the 17th century, Francisco Mosqueira (1612-1678) was a renowned Spanish painter known for his religious works and portraits. He was commissioned by several churches and nobility in Seville and Andalusia.

As the surname spread throughout the Iberian Peninsula and its colonies, it underwent various spelling variations, such as Mosquera, Musqueira, and Mosqueira. Some of these variations were influenced by regional dialects and linguistic changes over time.

While the surname "MOSQUEIRA" is still present in Spain and Portugal today, it is considered relatively uncommon compared to other more widespread surnames in these regions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Mosqueira

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

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

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

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