Monteiro
An Iberian surname meaning “of the mountain” or “from the hill,” often originally tied to a place or landscape feature.
The #5,036 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 44,328 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Monteiro is an Iberian surname built on monte, meaning “mountain,” “hill,” or “wooded height,” with the suffix -eiro/-ero often marking association with a place or occupation. In its broadest sense, it can indicate someone who lived near a hill or mountain, or someone connected with a monte in some other way. In Portuguese, monteiro can also mean a hunter or gamekeeper, so the surname may sometimes reflect an occupational sense as well.
History
The name is especially common in Portuguese-speaking regions and spread widely through Portugal and then to Brazil and other parts of the Lusophone world. It also appears in Galicia and other Iberian contexts, where related forms developed similarly. In some families the surname likely began as a topographic byname, while in others it may have come from the occupational noun for a hunter or forester.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Portuguese monteiro can still mean “hunter” or “gamekeeper,” which gives the surname a possible second layer of meaning beyond the landscape sense.