Montoya
Montoya is a Basque and Spanish surname. It originally comes from a hamlet near Berantevilla in Álava, in the Basque region of northern Spain. During the Reconquista, it extended southwards throughout Castille and Andalusia. The name roughly translates to mean hills and valleys. It has become more frequent among Gitanos than among the general Spanish population.
Meaning & Origin of Montoya
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Montoya is a Basque and Spanish surname. It originally comes from a hamlet near Berantevilla in Álava, in the Basque region of northern Spain. During the Reconquista, it extended southwards throughout Castille and Andalusia. The name roughly translates to mean hills and valleys. It has become more frequent among Gitanos than among the general Spanish population.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Montoya
As a girl name
Montoya first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1962, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1991, when 29 Montoyas were born — ranking #3,633 that year. As of 2026, Montoya ranks #16,098 for girls with 5 births, with steady use. In total, more than 520 Montoyas have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1960s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
Montoya first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1969, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1978, when 19 Montoyas were born — ranking #2,375 that year. As of 2026, Montoya ranks #12,551 for boys with 5 births, with steady use. In total, more than 119 Montoyas have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1960s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Montoya
Phonetically similar names — useful when Montoya is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Montoya
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About the name Montoya
Montoya is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1962 and has accumulated 520 births in the dataset. Montoya's peak popularity came in 1991 when it ranked #3,633. Use the chart and map above to compare Montoya's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1991 →
- Names of the 1990s →
- Names starting with "M" →
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- Top names of 2026 →
- Browse unisex names →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.