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

Noronha, 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 Noronha surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Noronha in America

Noronha is the 40082nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Noronha surname appeared 547 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 Noronha.

We can also compare 2010 data for Noronha 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 Noronha

The surname Noronha originated in Portugal and is derived from the Portuguese words "nora" meaning daughter-in-law and "onha" meaning nail or claw. It is believed to have originated as a nickname referring to a person with long fingernails or claws.

The earliest known record of the Noronha surname dates back to the 14th century in Portugal. One of the earliest documented individuals with this name was João Vaz de Noronha, a Portuguese nobleman who lived in the 15th century and was granted the Captaincy of the island of Terceira in the Azores archipelago.

Another notable figure in Portuguese history was Afonso de Noronha, a 16th-century explorer and navigator who participated in several expeditions to India and the East Indies. He was born in Lisbon around 1490 and played a significant role in establishing Portuguese control over the spice trade routes in the Indian Ocean.

In the 17th century, the Noronha surname gained prominence in Brazil, where many Portuguese settlers and colonists established themselves. One of the most famous Brazilians with this surname was José Bonifácio de Andrada e Silva Noronha, a statesman, naturalist, and one of the leading figures in Brazil's independence movement. He was born in 1763 and served as the first Prime Minister of independent Brazil.

Another notable individual with the Noronha surname was João Fernandes Vieira Noronha, a 17th-century Portuguese-Brazilian military leader and landowner. He was born in Madeira around 1613 and played a crucial role in leading the insurrection against Dutch rule in Brazil, ultimately expelling the Dutch from the region.

In the 20th century, Vinicius de Moraes Noronha was a renowned Brazilian poet, lyricist, and playwright. He was born in 1913 and is considered one of the most influential figures in Brazilian literature and music. His works, such as the play "Orfeu da Conceição," and his collaborations with renowned musicians like Antônio Carlos Jobim, helped shape the Bossa Nova movement.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Noronha

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

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

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

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