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

Puerto, 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 Puerto surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Puerto in America

Puerto is the 16984th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Puerto surname appeared 1,673 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 Puerto.

We can also compare 2010 data for Puerto 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 Puerto

The surname Puerto is of Spanish origin, derived from the word "puerto" meaning "port" or "harbor." This name likely originated in the coastal regions of Spain, where maritime activities and settlements near ports were common.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Puerto surname can be found in the Catalonian region of Spain during the 14th century. A document from 1325 mentions a certain "Pedro del Puerto," referring to an individual living near a port or harbor area.

In the 15th century, the Puerto surname began to appear in various Spanish records and manuscripts, particularly in coastal towns and cities such as Barcelona, Valencia, and Cadiz. This further reinforces the connection between the name and its maritime origins.

During the Age of Exploration, many Spanish explorers and sailors bearing the Puerto surname embarked on voyages across the Atlantic Ocean, contributing to the colonization of the Americas. One notable figure was Juan Puerto (1510-1579), a Spanish explorer who accompanied Hernando de Soto on his expedition to Florida and the southeastern United States.

Another prominent individual with the Puerto surname was Pedro Puerto (1545-1612), a Spanish theologian and scholar who authored several works on Catholic doctrine and philosophy during the Counter-Reformation era.

In the 18th century, the Puerto surname gained prominence in various parts of the Spanish Empire, including the Americas. José Puerto (1720-1788), a prominent silversmith from Mexico City, became renowned for his intricate and exquisite metalwork creations.

The 19th century saw the Puerto surname spread further across the Americas, as Spanish immigrants and their descendants settled in various regions. One notable figure was Mariano Puerto (1810-1875), a Chilean military officer and politician who played a significant role in the country's independence from Spain.

Throughout history, variations of the Puerto surname have also been recorded, such as Puertos, Puertolas, and Puertolas-Bendicho. These variations often reflect regional dialects or adaptations of the original name.

While the Puerto surname is most commonly associated with Spain and Spanish-speaking countries, it has also been adopted by individuals of various backgrounds and nationalities, reflecting the global impact of Spanish culture and language.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Puerto

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

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

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

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