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

Retamar, 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 Retamar surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Retamar in America

Retamar is the 69170th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Retamar surname appeared 284 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 Retamar.

We can also compare 2010 data for Retamar 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 Retamar

The surname Retamar is of Spanish origin, originating in the region of Andalusia in southern Spain. It is believed to have derived from the Arabic word "ratamar," which means a place where broom plants or shrubs grow. Retamar was likely initially used as a toponymic surname, referring to someone who lived near or came from a place where broom shrubs were abundant.

The earliest recorded instance of the surname Retamar can be traced back to the 13th century, during the Reconquista period when Christian kingdoms in the Iberian Peninsula were gradually retaking control of territories previously ruled by the Moors. As the Christian armies advanced southward, they encountered many Arabic place names, which were often adopted and hispanicized, leading to the emergence of surnames like Retamar.

One notable historical figure with this surname was Pedro de Retamar, a Spanish soldier and explorer who participated in the conquest of the Canary Islands in the late 15th century. He was one of the first Europeans to set foot on the island of Tenerife and played a crucial role in the subjugation of the indigenous Guanche people.

Another individual of note was Juan de Retamar, a Spanish navigator and cartographer who accompanied Ferdinand Magellan on his famous circumnavigation voyage in the early 16th century. Retamar's navigational skills and detailed charts were instrumental in the success of this groundbreaking expedition.

In the realm of literature, the name Retamar is associated with the 20th-century Spanish poet and essayist Julio Retamar Fernández (1909-1980), who was part of the Generation of '36 literary movement and renowned for his poetic works celebrating the beauty of his native Andalusia.

Moving to the Americas, one cannot overlook the influence of Antón Retamar, a Spanish conquistador who participated in the conquest of Mexico alongside Hernán Cortés in the early 16th century. Retamar played a pivotal role in several battles against the Aztec Empire and later became one of the first Spanish settlers in the region.

Finally, it is worth mentioning Roberto Retamar Fernández (1930-2023), a Cuban poet, essayist, and revolutionary figure who was a prominent voice in the Latin American literary and political circles of the 20th century. His works, including the influential essay "Caliban," explored themes of colonialism, identity, and cultural resistance.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Retamar

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

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

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

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