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

Peixoto, 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 Peixoto surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Peixoto in America

Peixoto is the 28437th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Peixoto surname appeared 839 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 Peixoto.

We can also compare 2010 data for Peixoto 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 Peixoto

The surname Peixoto is of Portuguese origin and dates back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Portuguese word "peixe," meaning "fish," and the diminutive suffix "-oto," suggesting a connection to someone who worked with or sold fish.

In its earliest form, the name was likely associated with individuals involved in the fishing trade or living in areas near fishing communities along the Portuguese coast. Some of the earliest records of the name can be found in historical documents from the 13th and 14th centuries in regions like Minho, Douro Litoral, and Beira Litoral.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was João Peixoto, a nobleman and landowner who lived in the 14th century and held properties in the region of Minho. His name appears in several land and property records from that time.

Another notable figure with the surname Peixoto was Fernão Peixoto, a 16th-century Portuguese poet and philosopher. He was born in 1529 and is known for his work "Tratado da Obediência," which explored themes of obedience and authority.

In the 17th century, Manuel Peixoto (1566-1638) was a prominent Portuguese theologian and philosopher who made significant contributions to the fields of metaphysics and ethics. His works, such as "Commentaria in Universam Aristotelis Logicam," were widely studied and influential.

During the Age of Discovery, the surname Peixoto was also carried by Portuguese explorers and navigators, such as João Peixoto, who accompanied Vasco da Gama on his historic voyage to India in 1498.

In the 18th century, José Peixoto (1740-1823) was a respected Brazilian lawyer and politician who played a crucial role in the independence movement of Brazil. He served as a member of the Constituent Assembly and helped draft the country's first constitution.

Over time, the surname Peixoto has spread beyond Portugal to other parts of the world, particularly to former Portuguese colonies and territories, where it has been adopted and adapted by various cultures and communities.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Peixoto

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

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

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

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