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

Bengoa, 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 Bengoa surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bengoa in America

Bengoa is the 104156th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bengoa surname appeared 172 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 Bengoa.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bengoa 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 Bengoa

The surname Bengoa is of Spanish origin and can be traced back to the Basque region of northern Spain and southwestern France. It is believed to have derived from the Basque word "bengoa," which means "new" or "recent." This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who was new to a particular area or community.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Bengoa date back to the 15th century in the Basque provinces of Spain. One notable individual from that era was Juan de Bengoa, a merchant and landowner who lived in the town of Bilbao in the late 1400s.

In the 16th century, the name Bengoa appeared in various historical records, including the census rolls of several Basque villages. During this time, the surname was sometimes spelled as "Bengua" or "Bengoechea," which were likely regional variations.

One of the earliest known references to the name Bengoa can be found in the archives of the Spanish Inquisition, where a certain Pedro de Bengoa was accused of heresy in 1572. However, he was eventually acquitted of the charges.

As the centuries passed, the Bengoa surname spread beyond the Basque region and can be found in other parts of Spain, as well as in Latin American countries with significant Spanish influence, such as Mexico, Argentina, and Chile.

Notable individuals with the surname Bengoa include:

1. Juan de Bengoa (c. 1470-1535), a wealthy merchant and landowner in Bilbao, Spain.
2. Pedro de Bengoa (c. 1540-1610), a Spanish Catholic priest and theologian.
3. José Bengoa (1784-1852), a Chilean military officer and politician who served as the Minister of War and Navy.
4. Gustavo Adolfo Bengoa (1900-1985), a Venezuelan poet and writer known for his works celebrating the Venezuelan landscape and culture.
5. Javier Bengoa (born 1964), a Spanish professional tennis player who competed in the 1980s and early 1990s.

While the Bengoa name has its roots in the Basque region, it has since spread to various parts of the world, reflecting the migration patterns and history of Spanish-speaking populations.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bengoa

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

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 Bengoa 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 Bengoa 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 Bengoa was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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