Pedrosa last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Pedrosa

A Portuguese or Spanish topographic surname referring to someone living near rocky or stony terrain.

Pedrosa, 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 Pedrosa surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Pedrosa in America

Pedrosa is the 17809th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Pedrosa surname appeared 1,572 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Pedrosa.

We can also compare 2010 data for Pedrosa 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 17809 18397 -3.25%
Count 1,572 1,387 12.50%
Proportion per 100k 0.53 0.51 3.85%

The history of the last name Pedrosa

The surname Pedrosa has its roots in the Iberian Peninsula, specifically in Portugal and Spain. It is derived from the Portuguese and Spanish word "pedra," meaning "stone," and the suffix "-osa," implying an abundance or a place where something is prevalent. This suggests that the name likely originated from a place or region known for its stony or rocky terrain.

During the Middle Ages, the name Pedrosa appeared in various historical records and manuscripts, including the "Livro de Linhagens" (Book of Lineages), a 14th-century Portuguese genealogical work. This document mentions individuals with the surname Pedrosa, indicating their ancestral roots and connections to noble families of the time.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Pedrosa dates back to the 13th century, when a nobleman named Gonçalo Pedrosa was mentioned in a charter from the reign of King Afonso III of Portugal (1210-1279). This suggests that the name had already established itself as a prominent surname in Portuguese society during that era.

In Spain, the name Pedrosa was also prevalent, particularly in the regions of Castile and León. Historical records from the 15th century mention individuals with this surname, such as Pedro de Pedrosa, a prominent landowner and nobleman from Salamanca.

Over the centuries, the surname Pedrosa has been associated with several notable figures, including:

  1. João Pedrosa (1538-1618), a Portuguese mathematician and astronomer known for his work on celestial mechanics and navigation.
  2. António Pedrosa Gomes (1799-1876), a Brazilian poet and journalist who played a significant role in the Romantic literary movement in Brazil.
  3. María Pedrosa (1847-1924), a Spanish painter and one of the first women to be admitted to the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando in Madrid.
  4. Manuel Pedrosa (1900-1981), a Brazilian art critic and diplomat who played a crucial role in promoting modern art in Brazil and Latin America.
  5. Tiago Pedrosa (born 1977), a Portuguese professional tennis player who achieved a career-high singles ranking of No. 62 in the world in 2003.

The name Pedrosa has also been associated with various place names, particularly in Portugal and Spain. For example, there are villages and towns named Pedrosa in the Spanish provinces of Segovia, Burgos, and León, as well as in the Portuguese district of Guarda.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Pedrosa

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

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 Pedrosa was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 23.35% 367
Non-Hispanic Black Only 2.29% 36
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 8.52% 134
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 0.64% 10
Hispanic Origin 65.20% 1,025

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 Pedrosa has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 23.35% 19.18% 19.61%
Black 2.29% (S)% (S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander 8.52% 5.98% 35.03%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% (S)% (S)%
Two or More Races 0.64% 2.60% -120.99%
Hispanic 65.20% 70.44% -7.73%

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

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

Reference this page

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If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Pedrosa last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on November 22, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/pedrosa-surname-popularity/.

"Pedrosa last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/pedrosa-surname-popularity/. Accessed 22 November, 2024

Pedrosa last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/pedrosa-surname-popularity/.

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