2000
#42,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 477
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.18
Very Rare Last name
Montalban
From a Spanish placename referring to someone from Montalbán.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 730 Americans carry the last name Montalban. That puts it at #37,540 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.21 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 469,526 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Montalban surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
730
1 in 469,526
Census rank
#37,540
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
637
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 637 bearers of the surname Montalban in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.21 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 37540th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Montalban, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 70.5%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (15.9%) and White (9.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Montalban
The surname Montalban is of Spanish origin, tracing its roots back to the medieval period in the Iberian Peninsula. It is derived from the phrase "monte alban," which translates to "white mountain" or "shining mountain" in Spanish.
This surname is believed to have originated as a topographic name, referring to individuals who lived near or were associated with a prominent white or shining mountain. The earliest known records of the Montalban name can be found in various regions of Spain, particularly in the areas of Aragon and Catalonia.
One notable historical reference to the Montalban surname is found in the "Libro de la Montería" (Book of the Hunt), a 14th-century manuscript commissioned by King Alfonso XI of Castile. This book contains detailed descriptions of hunting grounds and mentions several place names, including Montalban, suggesting the presence of individuals bearing this surname during that time.
In the 15th century, records show that a noble family with the surname Montalban held significant influence in the city of Valencia. One prominent member, Juan de Montalban, was a renowned military commander who played a crucial role in the conquest of Granada in 1492, the final victory that ended the Reconquista and the Moorish rule in Spain.
Another notable figure with the Montalban surname was Miguel de Montalban, a 16th-century Spanish playwright and poet. Born in Andalusia around 1530, he was renowned for his comedic plays and contributed significantly to the golden age of Spanish literature.
During the colonial era, the Montalban surname spread to various parts of the Spanish empire, including the Americas. One notable bearer was Juan de Montalban, a Spanish conquistador who accompanied Hernán Cortés in the conquest of Mexico in the early 16th century.
In the 19th century, a prominent individual with the Montalban surname was Juan Manuel Montalban y Castillo, a Spanish politician and writer who served as the Minister of Justice and Interior during the reign of Queen Isabella II.
These are just a few examples of the rich history and notable figures associated with the Montalban surname, which has left an indelible mark on Spanish culture and heritage over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Montalban
Among Census respondents with the surname Montalban, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 70.5%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (15.9%) and White (9.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Montalban bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Montalban surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino70.5% · 449
- Asian and Pacific Islander15.9% · 101
- White9.4% · 60
- Two or more races3.0% · 19
- Black or African American1.3% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Montalban
Montalban appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#31,824
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 725
+248 bearers (+52.0%)
Per 100,000 0.25
Rank movement Up 10,933 places
2020
#37,540
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 637
-88 bearers (-12.1%)
Per 100,000 0.21
Rank movement Down 5,716 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #42,757 | 477 | 0.18 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #31,824 | 725 | 0.25 | +248 bearers (+52.0%) | Up 10,933 places |
| 2020 | #37,540 | 637 | 0.21 | -88 bearers (-12.1%) | Down 5,716 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Montalban surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #31,824 | #37,540 | -18.0% |
| Count | 725 | 637 | -12.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.25 | 0.21 | -14.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Montalban bearers went from 725 to 637 (-12.1% change). The surname moved down 5,716 positions in the national ranking, going from #31,824 to #37,540.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Montalban
FAQ
Montalban surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Montalban?
Name Census estimates that about 730 living Americans carry the surname Montalban. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 469,526 residents.
How common is Montalban?
Montalban ranks #37,540 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.21 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 637 people with the surname Montalban. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (730), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.21 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.21 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Montalban.
Has Montalban become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Montalban went from 725 recorded bearers to 637. That is a decrease of 88 (-12.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #31,824 to #37,540.
What does the Census say about the background of Montalban?
Among Census respondents with the surname Montalban, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 70.5%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (15.9%) and White (9.4%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Montalban in the 2020 Census, accounting for 70.5% (449 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Montalban appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (70.5%), Asian/Pacific Islander (15.9%), White (9.4%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Montalban (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Montalban mean?
From a Spanish placename referring to someone from Montalbán. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Montalban (0.21 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people share the surname Montalban?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.