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

Nieto, 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 Nieto surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Nieto in America

Nieto is the 1376th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Nieto surname appeared 25,701 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 9 people would have the surname Nieto.

We can also compare 2010 data for Nieto 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 Nieto

The surname Nieto is of Spanish origin and dates back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Spanish word "nieto," which means "grandson" or "descendant." The name likely originated as a descriptive nickname or surname given to someone who was the grandson or descendant of a notable person or family.

In Spain, the surname Nieto can be traced back to the 13th and 14th centuries. It was particularly common in regions such as Andalusia, Castile, and Extremadura. The earliest recorded examples of the name can be found in medieval documents and records, including parish registers and census records from that time period.

The Nieto surname has also been associated with several place names in Spain, such as Nieto de Cameros in La Rioja and Nieto de Molina in Guadalajara. These place names suggest that the surname may have originated from specific locations or estates where families with the name resided.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Nieto was Juan Nieto, a Spanish explorer and navigator who participated in the expeditions to the Pacific Northwest in the late 17th century. Another notable figure was Pedro Nieto y Castilla (1631-1704), a Spanish architect and sculptor who designed several churches and buildings in Madrid and Valladolid.

In the 16th century, the Nieto family played a significant role in the Spanish conquest and colonization of the Americas. Juan Nieto Polo (1504-1590) was a conquistador who accompanied Hernán Cortés in the conquest of Mexico and later became one of the founders of the city of Puebla.

Other notable individuals with the Nieto surname include José Nieto (1815-1900), a Mexican politician and diplomat who served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs in the 19th century, and Manuel Nieto (1784-1876), a Spanish-Mexican soldier and rancher who was granted a land grant in what is now Los Angeles County, California.

Throughout history, the Nieto surname has been associated with various fields, including exploration, architecture, politics, and military service, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and contributions of individuals who bore this name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Nieto

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

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

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

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