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

Portales, 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 Portales surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Portales in America

Portales is the 17752nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Portales surname appeared 1,578 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 Portales.

We can also compare 2010 data for Portales 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 Portales

The surname Portales has its origins in Spain, dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Spanish word "portal," which means "gateway" or "entrance." This suggests that the name may have originally been associated with individuals who lived near or worked at the gateways of towns or fortified areas.

During the Middle Ages, surnames often arose from occupations, locations, or physical characteristics. In the case of Portales, it is likely that the name was initially given to families or individuals who resided near a notable gateway or portal.

One of the earliest recorded references to the name Portales can be found in a medieval Spanish manuscript from the 13th century, where a certain "Juan de Portales" was mentioned as a landowner in the region of Andalusia.

As the name spread throughout Spain, variations in spelling emerged, such as Portals, Portales, and Portalés. These variations were often influenced by local dialects and regional traditions.

Notable individuals with the surname Portales include:

1. Diego Portales (1793-1837), a Chilean businessman and politician who played a significant role in the country's political and economic development during the early 19th century.

2. Juan Nepomuceno Portales (1794-1880), a Mexican military officer and politician who served as the governor of Chihuahua from 1846 to 1847.

3. Benjamín Portales (1829-1901), a Chilean lawyer and politician who served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs and later as the President of the Supreme Court of Chile.

4. Enrique Portales (1856-1922), a Chilean painter and artist known for his portraits and landscapes, many of which depicted scenes from his native country.

5. María Portales (1888-1968), a Spanish writer and poet who was part of the Generation of '27 literary movement in Spain.

Throughout history, the Portales surname has been associated with various locations and place names, some of which may have influenced the name's origins or evolution. For instance, the town of Portales in New Mexico, United States, was named after a rancher named Portales, potentially indicating a connection to the Spanish surname.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Portales

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

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

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

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