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

Piedra, 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 Piedra surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Piedra in America

Piedra is the 6644th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Piedra surname appeared 5,098 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Piedra.

We can also compare 2010 data for Piedra 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 Piedra

The surname Piedra originates from Spain and has its roots in the Spanish language. The name is derived from the Spanish word "piedra," which means "stone" or "rock." This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who lived near a prominent rock formation or worked with stones, such as a stonemason or quarryman.

The earliest recorded instances of the Piedra surname can be traced back to the 13th century in various regions of Spain, including Catalonia, Aragon, and Castile. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Pedro de la Piedra, a nobleman from Aragon who lived in the late 13th century.

In the 14th century, the Piedra surname appeared in historical records related to the Reconquista, the centuries-long struggle between Christian kingdoms and the Moorish rulers of the Iberian Peninsula. Juan Piedra, a soldier from Catalonia, was mentioned in chronicles for his bravery in battles against the Moors.

During the 15th century, the Piedra family established itself in the town of Piedrabuena, located in the province of Ciudad Real, Castile-La Mancha. The town's name, which translates to "good stone," likely refers to the presence of high-quality stone quarries in the area, further strengthening the connection between the Piedra surname and the stone industry.

One notable bearer of the Piedra surname was Antonio de Piedra (1575-1641), a Spanish painter and architect from Seville. He was known for his contributions to the Baroque style and his work on several important churches and palaces in Seville and other parts of Andalusia.

Another prominent figure with the Piedra surname was Fray Domingo de Piedra (1598-1673), a Spanish Catholic priest and missionary who traveled to the Americas in the early 17th century. He played a significant role in the evangelization efforts in Mexico and is credited with establishing several missions and churches in the region.

In the 19th century, the Piedra surname gained recognition through the work of Juan Nepomuceno Piedra (1808-1868), a Cuban writer and journalist who was a prominent figure in the literary circles of Havana. He was known for his contributions to the development of Cuban literature and his advocacy for social reforms.

While the Piedra surname has its roots in Spain, over the centuries, it has spread to various parts of the world, including Latin America and the United States, through Spanish colonization and migration.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Piedra

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

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

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

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