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

Ontaneda, 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 Ontaneda surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ontaneda in America

Ontaneda is the 89403rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ontaneda surname appeared 207 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 Ontaneda.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ontaneda 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 Ontaneda

The surname Ontaneda originated in the Cantabria region of northern Spain during the medieval period. It is derived from the Basque words "onta" meaning "good" and "neda" meaning "place," suggesting the name refers to someone from a favorable location.

In the 10th century, references to the name appear in documents from the monastery of Santo Toribio de Liébana, indicating its early presence in the area. Similar spellings like Hontaneda and Fontaneda are found in old manuscripts.

The earliest known bearer of the name was Pedro Ontaneda, born around 1220 in Santillana del Mar, Cantabria. He was a local landowner and merchant who traded goods along the northern coast of Spain.

In the 14th century, the name appears in records from the town of Ontaneda, located in the Valles Pasiegos region of Cantabria. This place name likely contributed to the surname's continued use and spread.

Lope de Ontaneda, born in 1375 in Valles Pasiegos, was a notable figure who served as a soldier in the Reconquista campaigns against the Moors in southern Spain during the late 14th century.

During the 16th century, the surname gained prominence through the explorer Juan de Ontaneda, born in 1490 in Santander, Cantabria. He participated in expeditions to the Americas and is credited with helping map the coasts of present-day Florida and the Carolinas.

Another notable bearer was Diego de Ontaneda, born in 1625 in Santillana del Mar, who was a renowned architect and master builder. He is known for his work on several churches and monasteries in the Cantabria region.

In the 18th century, the name was carried by María Ontaneda, born in 1725 in Liébana, Cantabria. She was a respected writer and poet who published a collection of her works titled "Versos del Corazón" in 1785.

Throughout its history, the surname Ontaneda has maintained a strong association with the Cantabria region of northern Spain, reflecting its origins as a place name denoting a favorable location.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ontaneda

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

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

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

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