Figuereo last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Figuereo

A Spanish surname potentially derived from the word "higuera" meaning fig tree.

Figuereo, 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 Figuereo surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Figuereo in America

Figuereo is the 28023rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Figuereo surname appeared 855 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 Figuereo.

We can also compare 2010 data for Figuereo 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 28023 40139 -35.55%
Count 855 514 49.82%
Proportion per 100k 0.29 0.19 41.67%

The history of the last name Figuereo

The surname Figuereo originates from Spain, likely emerging in the 15th or 16th century during the era of Spanish colonization in the Americas. It is believed to be derived from the Spanish word "higuera," meaning fig tree, suggesting that the name may have been initially associated with individuals who lived near or cultivated fig trees.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Figuereo surname can be found in the historical archives of Seville, Spain, where a document dated 1492 mentions a certain Juan Figuereo, who was a merchant involved in the trade of goods from the New World. This record provides evidence that the name was in use during the time of Christopher Columbus's voyages to the Americas.

In the 16th century, a notable figure bearing the Figuereo surname was Diego Figuereo, a Spanish conquistador who participated in the conquest of Peru alongside Francisco Pizarro. Diego Figuereo played a role in the subjugation of the Inca Empire and is mentioned in several chronicles from that era, including those written by Pedro Cieza de León and Agustín de Zárate.

During the 17th century, the Figuereo name appeared in various parts of the Spanish colonial territories in the Americas. In 1625, a man named Alonso Figuereo was appointed as the governor of the province of Guayaquil, located in present-day Ecuador. Records also indicate that in 1673, a wealthy landowner named María Figuereo donated a significant amount of her estate to the construction of a church in the city of Caracas, Venezuela.

Moving into the 18th century, a prominent figure with the Figuereo surname was José Figuereo y Mendoza, a Spanish military officer and politician who served as the governor of Puerto Rico from 1747 to 1751. His tenure was marked by efforts to fortify the island's defenses against foreign attacks and improve its infrastructure.

In the 19th century, the Figuereo name gained recognition in the field of literature with the author and poet Mariano Figuereo Larraín, who was born in Chile in 1821. His works, which explored themes of patriotism and national identity, played a significant role in shaping the literary landscape of his time.

Throughout its history, the Figuereo surname has undergone various spelling variations, including Figueredo, Figueiredo, and Figueredo-Larraín, reflecting the influence of different linguistic and cultural contexts in which it has been used. Despite these variations, the name's connection to its Spanish roots and the symbolic association with fig trees has been preserved.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Figuereo

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

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 Figuereo was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 3.16% 27
Non-Hispanic Black Only 0.82% 7
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races (S)% (S)
Hispanic Origin 95.32% 815

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 Figuereo has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 3.16% 2.14% 38.49%
Black 0.82% 1.95% -81.59%
Asian and Pacific Islander (S)% 0.00% (S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)% (S)%
Two or More Races (S)% (S)% (S)%
Hispanic 95.32% 94.75% 0.60%

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

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

Reference this page

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If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Figuereo last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on November 22, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/figuereo-surname-popularity/.

"Figuereo last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/figuereo-surname-popularity/. Accessed 22 November, 2024

Figuereo last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/figuereo-surname-popularity/.

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