Escalante
A Spanish surname from the place name Escalante, ultimately linked to the idea of climbing or rising by steps.
The #1,736 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 14,969 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Escalante is a Spanish habitational surname taken from a place called Escalante in northern Spain. The name is usually connected with Spanish escalante, from the verb escalar, meaning to climb or scale, and ultimately with the Latin root scalare, “to climb” or “to step.” In origin it likely referred either to a place on a slope or to a settlement associated with a stair-like ascent.
History
The historical excerpts show Escalante as an established Castilian toponym and as a noble family name in medieval and early modern Spanish records. It spread through Spain and later to the Spanish-speaking Americas, where it remains fairly common today. The surname is also found in noble lineages documented by historians such as Salazar.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The related Spanish word escalera means “staircase,” which makes Escalante feel especially literal as a place-name surname.
From the historical record
“darse en las propuestas para los ascensos. Escalante. El que escala. Escalera Parte del edificio compuerta del peldaño para subir i bajar. Escalon. El peldaño de piedra, madera u otra materia,”
— Diccionario de los apellidos