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

Portuguez, 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 Portuguez surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Portuguez in America

Portuguez is the 83834th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Portuguez surname appeared 224 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 Portuguez.

We can also compare 2010 data for Portuguez 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 Portuguez

The surname Portuguez is a Spanish surname originating from the country of Portugal. It dates back to the 12th century when Portugal was an emerging nation, having gained independence from the Kingdom of León in 1139. The name is derived from the Portuguese word "português" which means "Portuguese person" or "from Portugal".

The earliest recorded instances of the Portuguez surname can be traced back to the Iberian Peninsula during the medieval era. It is believed that the name was initially adopted by individuals who had migrated from Portugal to neighboring regions of Spain, particularly Galicia and Castile. In those times, surnames were often derived from one's place of origin, occupation, or distinguishing physical characteristics.

One of the earliest known references to the Portuguez surname can be found in the Libro de Repartimiento de Sevilla, a 13th-century document that recorded the distribution of land and properties among the Christian conquerors of Seville after the Reconquista. This document mentions several individuals with the surname Portuguez, indicating their presence in the region during that time period.

Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals bearing the Portuguez surname. One prominent figure was Juan Portuguez, a 15th-century Spanish explorer and navigator who accompanied Christopher Columbus on his second voyage to the Americas in 1493. He is believed to have been born in Seville around 1460 and played a significant role in the early exploration and colonization of the Caribbean islands.

Another historical figure with the Portuguez surname was Diego Portuguez, a 16th-century Spanish soldier and conquistador who participated in the conquest of Peru under Francisco Pizarro. He was born in Extremadura, Spain, around 1505 and is known for his role in the Battle of Cajamarca, where the Inca ruler Atahualpa was captured.

In the 17th century, a notable individual with the Portuguez surname was Tomás Portuguez, a Spanish painter and engraver who was active in Madrid. He was born in 1617 and is known for his religious artworks and engravings that adorned various churches and monasteries in Spain.

During the 18th century, Pedro Portuguez was a prominent Spanish architect and military engineer. He was born in Cádiz in 1710 and is credited with designing and overseeing the construction of several fortifications and military structures throughout Spain, including the iconic fortress of San Fernando in Figueres.

In the 19th century, one notable figure with the Portuguez surname was María Portuguez, a Spanish writer and poet who was active in the literary circles of Madrid. She was born in 1825 and published several collections of poetry and short stories that explored themes of love, nature, and the human condition.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Portuguez

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

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

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

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