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

Escarcega, 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 Escarcega surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Escarcega in America

Escarcega is the 12994th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Escarcega surname appeared 2,363 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Escarcega.

We can also compare 2010 data for Escarcega 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 Escarcega

The surname Escarcega has its origins in Spain, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to have originated in the region of Extremadura, located in western Spain, near the border with Portugal.

Escarcega is derived from the Spanish word "escarcega," which means "watercress." This suggests that the name may have initially been a nickname or a descriptive name given to someone who lived near a place where watercress grew in abundance, or someone who cultivated or sold watercress.

Early records mentioning the surname Escarcega can be found in various Spanish archives and documents from the 13th and 14th centuries. One of the earliest known references is in the "Repartimiento de Sevilla," a document from the 13th century that recorded the distribution of land and properties in Seville after the city was conquered from the Moors.

In the 15th century, the name appears in the "Cuadernos de Repartimientos de Andalucía," which were records of land grants and settlements in the region of Andalusia. This suggests that the Escarcega family may have been involved in the repopulation and resettlement of areas conquered from the Moors during the Reconquista.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Escarcega was Juan Escarcega, who lived in the city of Badajoz in the 15th century. Another notable figure was Pedro Escarcega, a soldier and explorer who participated in the conquest of the Canary Islands in the late 15th century.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Escarcega surname can be found in various records and documents from different parts of Spain, including Extremadura, Andalusia, and the regions of Valencia and Murcia. This suggests that the family had spread and established branches in different areas of the country.

In the 18th century, there are records of Escarcega families in the Spanish colonies of the Americas, particularly in Mexico and parts of Central America. This indicates that some members of the Escarcega family had participated in the Spanish colonization and settlement of the New World.

Other notable individuals with the surname Escarcega include:

1. Francisco Escarcega (1660-1732), a Spanish painter and engraver from Seville.
2. Tomás Escarcega (1765-1835), a Mexican military officer and politician during the Mexican War of Independence.
3. Mariano Escarcega (1824-1892), a Mexican lawyer and politician who served as governor of the state of Jalisco.
4. Jesús Escarcega (1876-1948), a Mexican artist and sculptor known for his religious works.
5. Luisa Escarcega (1898-1976), a Spanish writer and poet from Extremadura.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Escarcega

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

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

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

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