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

Figueroa, 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 Figueroa surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Figueroa in America

Figueroa is the 21260th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Figueroa surname appeared 1,233 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 Figueroa.

We can also compare 2010 data for Figueroa 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 Figueroa

The surname Figeroa has its origins in the Iberian Peninsula, specifically in the regions of Spain and Portugal. It is believed to have derived from the Spanish word "higuera," which means fig tree, suggesting that the name may have been associated with individuals who lived near or worked with fig trees.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Figeroa can be traced back to the 13th century in the Kingdom of Aragon, a medieval kingdom that occupied parts of present-day Spain and southern France. The name was sometimes spelled as "Figuera" or "Figueras" during this time period.

In the 15th century, the surname Figeroa was mentioned in several historical documents related to the Spanish conquest of the Americas. Juan de Figeroa, a Spanish explorer born around 1460, was one of the early settlers in the Caribbean islands and played a role in the colonization efforts.

During the 16th century, the name Figeroa gained prominence in Mexico, where several prominent individuals bore this surname. One notable figure was Hernán Figeroa y Córdoba, a Spanish conquistador born in 1518, who participated in the conquest of the Aztec Empire and later served as the governor of New Galicia (present-day western Mexico).

In the 17th century, the Figeroa family had a strong presence in the Philippines, which was then a Spanish colony. One of the most notable members was Miguel López de Legazpi y Figeroa, born in 1502, who led the Spanish expedition that established the first permanent Spanish settlements in the Philippine archipelago.

Another prominent figure with the surname Figeroa was José Figeroa y Davalos, born in 1642, who served as the governor of the Spanish territories in Texas and Coahuila (now part of northern Mexico) in the late 17th century.

Throughout the centuries, the surname Figeroa has been associated with various notable individuals in different fields, such as literature, politics, and the arts. For example, José Figeroa Alcorta, born in 1860, was a Mexican politician and diplomat who served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs in the early 20th century.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Figueroa

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

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

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

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