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

Dongo, 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 Dongo surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Dongo in America

Dongo is the 86005th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Dongo surname appeared 217 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 Dongo.

We can also compare 2010 data for Dongo 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 Dongo

The surname Dongo originates from the Democratic Republic of the Congo in Central Africa, with its roots dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Kikongo language, which was spoken by the Bakongo people who inhabited the western region of the country.

One of the earliest known references to the name Dongo can be found in historical records from the Kingdom of Kongo, which ruled over parts of modern-day Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the Republic of the Congo from the 14th to the 19th century. These records mention several individuals with the surname Dongo who held influential positions within the kingdom.

In the 17th century, a notable figure named Nzinga Dongo played a significant role in the resistance against Portuguese colonization in the region. He was a military leader and diplomat who fought to preserve the sovereignty of the Kingdom of Kongo.

During the 18th century, the Dongo surname appeared in various missionary accounts and travel journals written by European explorers who ventured into the region. These accounts often referred to local chieftains or elders with the surname Dongo, indicating the name's association with leadership and authority within the Bakongo communities.

As the African diaspora spread across the globe, individuals with the surname Dongo began to appear in various parts of the world. One such example is Jean-Baptiste Dongo, a Congolese writer and poet who was born in 1907 and made significant contributions to the literary scene of his time.

Another notable figure was Madeleine Dongo, a Congolese politician and women's rights activist who lived from 1923 to 2003. She played a pivotal role in advocating for gender equality and women's empowerment in her country.

In the 20th century, the surname Dongo gained further recognition with the rise of Congolese musicians and artists on the international stage. One such individual was Tabu Ley Rochereau, also known as Mupila Dongo, who was a pioneer of Congolese rumba and soukous music. He was born in 1940 and passed away in 2013, leaving behind a lasting legacy in the world of African music.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Dongo

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

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

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

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