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

Riquelme, 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 Riquelme surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Riquelme in America

Riquelme is the 25865th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Riquelme surname appeared 951 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 Riquelme.

We can also compare 2010 data for Riquelme 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 Riquelme

The surname Riquelme originated in Spain during the Middle Ages. It is believed to have derived from the Spanish toponym Riquelme, which referred to a small village located in the region of Murcia. The name itself is thought to have roots in the Visigothic language, with "ricus" meaning "powerful" and "helmis" meaning "helmet" or "protection."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Riquelme surname can be found in the Becerro de las Behetrías, a medieval census document from the 14th century. This document mentions several individuals bearing the Riquelme name, suggesting that the surname had already become well-established by that time.

During the 15th century, the Riquelme family gained prominence in the city of Murcia. Notable members included Pedro Riquelme (1430-1492), a renowned scholar and philosopher, and Alonso Riquelme (1472-1538), a wealthy merchant and landowner.

In the 16th century, the Riquelme name appeared in various historical records across Spain, including the Catastro de Ensenada, a census-like document from the mid-18th century. One notable figure from this period was Andrés Riquelme (1541-1612), a Spanish conquistador who participated in the conquest of the Philippines.

As the Spanish Empire expanded, the Riquelme surname spread to various regions of the Americas. In the 17th century, Juan Riquelme (1618-1692) was a prominent landowner and politician in the Viceroyalty of Peru. Similarly, Miguel Riquelme (1675-1744) was a influential figure in the Spanish colonization of Texas.

Throughout history, the Riquelme surname has been associated with various notable individuals. For example, Manuel Riquelme (1779-1854) was a Spanish military officer who fought in the Peninsular War against Napoleonic forces. Joaquín Riquelme (1858-1923) was a Chilean politician and diplomat who served as the country's ambassador to several European nations.

In more recent times, the Argentine footballer Juan Román Riquelme (born 1978) has become one of the most famous bearers of the Riquelme name. Regarded as one of the greatest players of his generation, he played for several top clubs, including Barcelona and Boca Juniors.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Riquelme

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

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

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

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