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

Pontes, 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 Pontes surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Pontes in America

Pontes is the 22733rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Pontes surname appeared 1,127 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 Pontes.

We can also compare 2010 data for Pontes 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 Pontes

The surname Pontes originates from Portugal, tracing its roots back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Latin word "pontes," meaning "bridges." This suggests that the earliest bearers of this name may have lived near bridges or worked as bridge builders or toll collectors.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Pontes surname can be found in the Livro Velho de Linhagens, a Portuguese genealogical manuscript compiled in the 13th century. This document mentions individuals bearing the name Pontes, indicating their presence in the region during that era.

During the 14th century, the name Pontes appeared in various official records and documents in Portugal, such as tax rolls and property deeds. One notable figure from this period was João Pontes, a prominent merchant and landowner who lived in the city of Porto in the late 1300s.

As the centuries passed, the Pontes surname spread across Portugal and its territories. In the 16th century, a Gaspar Pontes was listed as a navigator and explorer who accompanied Portuguese expeditions to the Americas and the East Indies.

In the 17th century, the Pontes family established itself as a respected lineage in the Algarve region of southern Portugal. One member, Manuel Pontes (1602-1678), served as a magistrate and judge in the local courts.

The 19th century saw the rise of several notable individuals bearing the Pontes surname. João Baptista da Silva Pontes (1796-1855) was a prominent Portuguese lawyer and politician who served as Minister of Justice and Prime Minister of Portugal in the 1840s.

Another significant figure was José Maria Pontes (1825-1898), a renowned Portuguese writer and journalist who authored several works on history and literature. His contemporaries included António José Pontes (1830-1902), a respected engineer and architect responsible for designing several landmarks in Lisbon.

In more recent times, the Pontes surname has continued to be represented in various fields. Fernando Pontes (1923-2012) was a celebrated Portuguese artist known for his abstract expressionist paintings, while Henrique Pontes (born 1952) is a renowned architect whose works have been recognized with numerous international awards.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Pontes

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

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

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

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