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Montoya
How to Pronounce Montoya
Pronounced mon-TOY-ah /mɒnˈtɔɪə/Medium
Meaning: Montoya is a well-known Spanish (Basque-influenced) surname, generally traced to a place-name built on 'monte', 'mountain' or 'hill'. Its use as a girls' given name in late-century America was reinforced by the popular character Inigo Montoya in the 1987 film The Princess Bride, which made the surname widely familiar.Low
Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data
U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.
SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.
History & Origin
Montoya is a familiar Spanish surname, usually derived from a place-name built on monte, 'mountain' or 'hill'. As a girls' given name it emerged in the late twentieth century, its recognition boosted by the swashbuckling character Inigo Montoya in the 1987 film The Princess Bride. It reads as a surname-name chosen for its bold, romantic sound.
Montoya was always a rarity as a first name, touching about thirty girls a year around 1991 and fading by the mid-2000s - closely tracking the film's cultural moment. It belongs with the era's habit of borrowing striking surnames as given names; it remains distinctive and uncommon.
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Frequently Asked
What does the name Montoya mean?
Montoya is a Spanish surname used as a girl's given name, likely tied to a word for 'mountain'.
How do you pronounce Montoya?
It is said mon-TOY-ah /mɒnˈtɔɪə/, three syllables stressed on the second.
Is Montoya a boy or girl name?
Montoya is used here as a girl's name, though the surname belongs to all.
How popular is the name Montoya?
Montoya has always been very rare as a first name, its brief use tied to the film The Princess Bride.