2000
#149,328
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Chargo
Possibly derived from a nickname referring to a person's occupation or responsibilities.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 126 Americans carry the last name Chargo. That puts it at #149,446 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,720,273 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Chargo surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
126
1 in 2,720,273
Census rank
#149,446
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
110
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 110 bearers of the surname Chargo in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 149446th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Chargo, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Chargo
The surname Chargo has its roots in the northern regions of Spain, dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Spanish word "charco," which means "puddle" or "small pool." This suggests that the name may have originated from a location or topographical feature associated with a body of water.
During the medieval period, the name Chargo appeared in various records and manuscripts, including the Cartulario de San Millán de la Cogolla, a collection of documents from the Monastery of San Millán de la Cogolla in La Rioja, Spain. This document, dated around 1200 CE, contains references to individuals with the surname Chargo, indicating its early usage in the region.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Chargo can be traced back to Juan Chargo, a landowner and farmer who lived in the village of Villafranca de los Montes de Oca, near Burgos, in the late 13th century. Historical records mention him as a prominent figure in the local community, owning several acres of land and vineyards.
In the 15th century, the name Chargo gained prominence in the region of Asturias, where it was associated with the village of Caravia. One notable individual from this era was Pedro Chargo, a skilled blacksmith who lived in Caravia during the 1460s. His work was highly regarded, and he was commissioned to craft various tools and weapons for local nobility.
Another notable figure bearing the surname Chargo was Juana Chargo, a nun who lived in the Monastery of Santa María la Real de Nájera in La Rioja during the 16th century. She was known for her dedication to religious life and her contributions to the monastic community.
In the 17th century, the Chargo surname appeared in the records of the town of Villaviciosa, Asturias, where a family of merchants and traders bearing this name established themselves. One of the most prominent members of this family was Alonso Chargo, a successful merchant who traded goods between Asturias and various ports along the northern Spanish coast.
During the 18th century, the Chargo name spread to other regions of Spain, including Catalonia and Andalusia. In Catalonia, a notable figure was Margarita Chargo, a renowned painter who was celebrated for her religious artwork and contributions to the Baroque art movement in Spain.
While the surname Chargo has its roots in Spain, it has since been carried to other parts of the world through migration and diaspora. However, its historical significance remains deeply rooted in the northern regions of Spain, where it first emerged and gained prominence over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Chargo
Among Census respondents with the surname Chargo, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Chargo bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Chargo surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.7% · 102
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 3
- Two or more races2.7% · 3
- Black or African American1.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Chargo
Chargo appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#152,628
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
+6 bearers (+5.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 3,300 places
2020
#149,446
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
+3 bearers (+2.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 3,182 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #149,328 | 101 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #152,628 | 107 | 0.04 | +6 bearers (+5.9%) | Down 3,300 places |
| 2020 | #149,446 | 110 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.8%) | Up 3,182 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Chargo surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #152,628 | #149,446 | 2.1% |
| Count | 107 | 110 | 2.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Chargo bearers went from 107 to 110 (+2.8% change). The surname moved up 3,182 positions in the national ranking, going from #152,628 to #149,446.
FAQ
Chargo surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Chargo?
Name Census estimates that about 126 living Americans carry the surname Chargo. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,720,273 residents.
How common is Chargo?
Chargo ranks #149,446 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 110 people with the surname Chargo. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (126), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Chargo.
Has Chargo become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Chargo went from 107 recorded bearers to 110. That is an increase of 3 (+2.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #152,628 to #149,446.
What does the Census say about the background of Chargo?
Among Census respondents with the surname Chargo, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%) and Two or More Races (2.7%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Chargo in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.7% (102 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Chargo appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.7%), Hispanic (2.7%), Two or More Races (2.7%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Chargo (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Chargo mean?
Possibly derived from a nickname referring to a person's occupation or responsibilities. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Chargo (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many Americans have the surname Chargo?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.