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

Riestra, 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 Riestra surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Riestra in America

Riestra is the 51066th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Riestra surname appeared 408 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 Riestra.

We can also compare 2010 data for Riestra 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 Riestra

The surname Riestra has its origins in the Spanish language and can be traced back to the regions of Spain and Portugal. It is believed to have derived from the Spanish word "riestra," which translates to "string" or "garland." This suggests that the name may have been initially associated with occupations related to winding or stringing materials, such as rope makers or garland weavers.

One of the earliest records of the Riestra surname dates back to the 13th century in the region of Galicia, Spain. During this period, the name appeared in various documents, including property records and census rolls. It is noteworthy that the name was sometimes spelled differently, with variations like "Riestr," "Ryestra," and "Riestro."

The name Riestra can be found in several historical records and manuscripts from Spain and Portugal. For instance, there are references to individuals with this surname in the "Libros de Repartimiento," which were documents detailing the distribution of land and property during the Reconquista period in the Iberian Peninsula.

The earliest recorded individual with the surname Riestra is Juan Riestra, who lived in the city of Seville, Spain, during the late 15th century. He was a prominent merchant and landowner, whose name appears in various commercial and legal documents from that time.

In the 16th century, Hernando Riestra, a Spanish explorer and navigator, accompanied Hernán Cortés on his expedition to Mexico. He played a significant role in the conquest of the Aztec Empire and was later appointed as a governor in one of the newly conquered territories.

Another notable figure was María Riestra, a Spanish noblewoman born in 1602. She was known for her philanthropy and established several charitable organizations to support the underprivileged in her region.

During the 17th century, Pedro Riestra, a renowned architect from Seville, designed and oversaw the construction of several churches and public buildings in southern Spain. His most famous work is the Church of San Roque, which still stands today as a testament to his architectural skills.

In the 19th century, José Riestra, a Spanish military officer and politician, played a crucial role in the Carlist Wars, supporting the cause of Don Carlos against the liberal government. He was recognized for his strategic military leadership and later served as a member of the Spanish parliament.

These examples illustrate the historical presence of the Riestra surname across various fields, including commerce, exploration, nobility, architecture, and politics. While the name originated in the Iberian Peninsula, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and cultural exchange.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Riestra

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

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

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

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