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

Sanmateo, 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 Sanmateo surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Sanmateo in America

Sanmateo is the 140157th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Sanmateo surname appeared 119 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 Sanmateo.

The history of the last name Sanmateo

The surname SANMATEO has its origins in Spain, with the earliest records dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to have originated from the town of San Mateo in the province of Castellón, located in the Valencian Community. The name is derived from the Spanish words "San" meaning "Saint" and "Mateo" which is the Spanish form of the biblical name Matthew.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the surname SANMATEO can be found in the Cartulario de Sant Cugat, a medieval manuscript from the 12th century that contains documents related to the Monastery of Sant Cugat del Vallès near Barcelona. This suggests that the name was already in use during that time period.

In the 13th century, a notable figure with the surname SANMATEO was Pedro Sanmateo, a Catalan nobleman who served as a knight and adviser to King James I of Aragon. He was involved in the Aragonese conquest of Valencia and played a significant role in the region's history.

During the 15th century, the SANMATEO family gained prominence in the town of Caspe, located in the province of Zaragoza. Juan Sanmateo, born in 1420, was a respected merchant and landowner who contributed to the town's economic development.

In the 16th century, the surname SANMATEO spread to other parts of Spain, including the Canary Islands. One notable individual was Andrés Sanmateo, a navigator and explorer who accompanied Juan Sebastián Elcano on the first circumnavigation of the globe between 1519 and 1522.

As the Spanish Empire expanded, the surname SANMATEO also found its way to the Americas. In the 17th century, Francisco Sanmateo, born in 1625 in Seville, was a soldier and settler who established a hacienda in the viceroyalty of New Spain (present-day Mexico).

Throughout history, the surname SANMATEO has been associated with various notable figures, including writers, artists, and politicians. María Sanmateo, born in 1885 in Barcelona, was a renowned Catalan poet and playwright who contributed significantly to the literary scene of her time.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Sanmateo

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

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 Sanmateo 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.

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

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

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