Find out how popular the last name Bangoura is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Bangoura.

Bangoura, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Bangoura surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bangoura in America

Bangoura is the 68345th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bangoura surname appeared 288 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Bangoura.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bangoura to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Bangoura

The surname Bangoura originated in West Africa, specifically in the present-day nation of Guinea. It traces its roots back to the late medieval period, around the 14th or 15th century. The name is believed to be derived from the Maninka language, spoken by the Malinke people of Guinea, Mali, and Ivory Coast.

One possible origin of Bangoura is from the Maninka words "bango" meaning "village" and "oura" meaning "great" or "large." This suggests the name may have originally referred to a person from a prominent or sizable village. Alternatively, it could be derived from a combination of the Maninka words "ban" meaning "to farm" and "goura" meaning "large area," potentially signifying someone from a large farming community.

In the 16th century, Portuguese explorers and traders began establishing outposts along the West African coast, including in what is now Guinea. Some of the earliest written records of the Bangoura name may be found in Portuguese documents from this period, albeit with varying spellings due to the challenges of transcribing African names into European languages.

One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Bangoura was Sori Bangoura, a prominent trader and diplomat who lived in the late 17th century. He is mentioned in French records as having negotiated treaties and trade agreements with European powers on behalf of the Malinke kingdoms.

In the 19th century, Samory Bangoura (c. 1835-1900) emerged as a powerful military leader and the founder of the Wassoulou Empire, which briefly united several Malinke kingdoms in what is now Guinea and Mali. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in West African history during the era of European colonization.

Another notable individual was Djiguiba Bangoura (1891-1984), a Guinean educator and politician who played a key role in the nation's struggle for independence from French colonial rule. He served as the first Prime Minister of Guinea after the country gained independence in 1958.

In the 20th century, Oumar Bangoura (1926-2011) was a renowned Guinean writer and poet, whose works explored themes of African identity, colonialism, and the struggle for freedom. His poetry collections, such as "Rythmes Sauvages" (1956), earned him widespread acclaim and recognition across the African continent.

Lastly, Mamadou Bangoura (born 1949) is a prominent Guinean businessman and philanthropist. He founded the Bangoura Group, a multinational conglomerate with interests in various sectors, including agriculture, mining, and real estate. He has also been recognized for his contributions to education and community development initiatives in Guinea.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bangoura

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Bangoura.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Bangoura was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Bangoura has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Bangoura was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Bangoura, please contact us.

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