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

Pertierra, 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 Pertierra surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Pertierra in America

Pertierra is the 144141st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Pertierra surname appeared 115 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 Pertierra.

We can also compare 2010 data for Pertierra 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 Pertierra

The surname Pertierra has its origins in Spain, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Spanish words "per" meaning "through" or "by," and "tierra," meaning "land" or "earth." This suggests that the name may have initially been used to refer to someone who traveled extensively or owned significant tracts of land.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Pertierra can be found in the Becerro de las Behetrías de Castilla, a historical document from the 14th century that recorded landholdings in the region of Castile. This document mentions a certain Rodrigo Pertierra, who held properties in the town of Villaviciosa.

In the 15th century, there are records of a prominent family with the surname Pertierra residing in the town of Medina del Campo, which was a major center of trade and commerce during that time. One notable member of this family was Juan Pertierra, a successful merchant who played a significant role in the expansion of the wool trade between Spain and the Netherlands.

During the 16th century, the name Pertierra began to spread beyond Spain, with some individuals bearing this surname migrating to the Americas. One such individual was Pedro Pertierra, who was among the early Spanish settlers in present-day Mexico and is mentioned in colonial records from the 1530s.

In the 17th century, a notable figure with the surname Pertierra was Diego Pertierra, a Spanish military officer who served in the Thirty Years' War. He was recognized for his bravery and leadership during the Battle of Nördlingen in 1634.

Another prominent individual with this surname was María Pertierra, a 19th-century Spanish author and poet who was celebrated for her works that explored themes of love, nature, and the human condition. Her collection of poems, "Cantos de la Tierra" (Songs of the Earth), published in 1875, received critical acclaim.

Throughout its history, the surname Pertierra has also been associated with various place names and locations. For example, there is a small village called Pertierra in the province of Huesca, Spain, which may have derived its name from the surname itself or vice versa.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Pertierra

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

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

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

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