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

Berganza, 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 Berganza surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Berganza in America

Berganza is the 33196th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Berganza surname appeared 689 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 Berganza.

We can also compare 2010 data for Berganza 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 Berganza

The surname "Berganza" originates from Spain, specifically the Basque region, where it first emerged in the early 15th century. It is believed to be derived from the Basque words "berri" meaning "new" and "gantza" meaning "fat" or "fertile," suggesting a connection to agricultural or pastoral activities. The name was likely initially used to denote someone from a newly cultivated or fertile area.

Early variations of the spelling include "Bergança," "Berganza," and "Verganza," with the latter being more commonly found in historical documents from the 16th and 17th centuries. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is in a parish register from the town of Bilbao in 1512, referencing a certain "Juan de Berganza."

The surname gained some prominence in the 16th century, with the birth of Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra's character Berganza, a talking dog featured in his novella "El Casamiento Engañoso" and "El Coloquio de los Perros" (The Deceitful Marriage and The Dialogue of the Dogs). This literary reference helped establish the name in Spanish cultural history.

Notable individuals with the surname "Berganza" include:

1. Francisco de Berganza (1551-1623), a Spanish historian and archivist who served as the Royal Chronicler of Castile under King Philip III.
2. José de Berganza (1670-1744), a Spanish theologian and bishop of Almería, known for his writings on ecclesiastical history.
3. Mariano José de Berganza (1782-1846), a Spanish playwright and poet, recognized for his contributions to the Romantic literary movement.
4. Emilio Berganza (1845-1910), a Spanish painter and illustrator, famous for his depictions of Spanish landscapes and traditional scenes.
5. María Teresa Berganza (1933-2023), a renowned Spanish mezzo-soprano opera singer, widely acclaimed for her interpretations of Spanish and Italian repertoires.

While the name "Berganza" is not as common as some other Spanish surnames, it has a rich history rooted in the Basque region, with notable bearers contributing to various fields, including literature, arts, and ecclesiastical studies.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Berganza

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

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

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

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