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

Puentes, 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 Puentes surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Puentes in America

Puentes is the 4711th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Puentes surname appeared 7,528 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Puentes.

We can also compare 2010 data for Puentes 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 Puentes

The surname Puentes originated in Spain, with its earliest known origins dating back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Spanish word "puente," which translates to "bridge" in English. This surname was likely given to someone who lived near a significant bridge or was associated with the construction or maintenance of bridges.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Puentes surname can be found in the Libro de repartimiento de Sevilla, a medieval document that recorded the distribution of land and property in Seville after the city's reconquest by King Ferdinand III of Castile in 1248. This document mentions individuals with the surname Puentes among the recipients of land grants.

In the 14th century, the Puentes surname appeared in various records and manuscripts across Spain, particularly in regions such as Andalusia, Castile, and Aragon. Some notable individuals from this period include Juan Puentes, a renowned architect who designed several bridges and fortifications in the city of Toledo during the reign of King Alfonso XI (1311-1350).

As the Puentes surname spread throughout Spain, it also took on various spellings and variations, such as Puente, Puentes de la Vega, and Puentes del Río. These variations often reflected the specific locations or regions where different branches of the Puentes family settled.

One of the earliest known individuals with the Puentes surname was Rodrigo Puentes, a Spanish explorer and conquistador who participated in the conquest of Mexico alongside Hernán Cortés in the early 16th century. Another notable figure was María Puentes (1520-1592), a Spanish noblewoman and landowner who played a significant role in the settlement and development of the Canary Islands.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Puentes surname gained prominence in various parts of the Spanish Empire, including the Americas. For example, Alonso de Puentes (1548-1628) was a Spanish soldier and colonial administrator who served as the governor of Paraguay from 1603 to 1608.

In the 18th century, Juan Puentes (1712-1785) was a renowned Spanish architect and urban planner who worked on several major projects in Madrid, including the design of the Plaza Mayor and the Royal Palace of Madrid.

As the Puentes surname spread to different parts of the world, it continued to be associated with individuals involved in bridge construction, engineering, and architecture. For instance, José Puentes (1835-1901) was a Cuban civil engineer and architect who designed numerous bridges and public works projects in Havana and other cities across Cuba.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Puentes

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

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

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

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