2000
#61,544
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 305
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.11
Very Rare Last name
Fugua
A surname likely of Arabic/Moorish origin, derived from the word "fuqahā" meaning Islamic legal scholars or jurists.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 130 Americans carry the last name Fugua. That puts it at #147,221 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,636,572 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Fugua 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
130
1 in 2,636,572
Census rank
#147,221
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
113
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 113 bearers of the surname Fugua in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147221st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Fugua, the largest self-reported group is White at 57.5%. The next largest groups are Black (37.2%) and Two or More Races (5.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Fugua
The surname FUGUA has its origins traced back to Italy in the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Latin word "fugua" which meant "to flee" or "to escape". This was likely a descriptive name given to someone who had fled from their homeland or escaped from some sort of danger.
During the medieval period, the name was recorded in various Italian regions such as Tuscany, Umbria, and Lazio. Some of the earliest recorded spellings include Fughia, Fuggia, and Fughuia. These variations were common due to the inconsistencies in spelling and record-keeping at the time.
One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Giovanni Fugua, a merchant from Florence who lived in the late 13th century. His name appeared in several business records and trade documents from that era.
In the 14th century, the FUGUA name was mentioned in a manuscript detailing the history of the city of Perugia. This reference was in connection with a family that had settled in the area and contributed to the local economy.
During the Renaissance period, the FUGUA name gained prominence with the birth of Guido Fugua (1456-1518), a renowned painter and architect from Siena. His works can still be seen in churches and buildings across Italy.
Another noteworthy individual was Antonio Fugua (1612-1688), a Jesuit priest and scholar from Rome. He authored several theological texts and was highly respected for his knowledge of classical literature.
In the 18th century, the FUGUA name was associated with a small village in the Umbrian region, which was named after the family that had lived there for generations. This place name was recorded as Fughia and later evolved into Fugua.
Among the more recent notable figures with this surname was Giuseppe Fugua (1832-1912), an Italian politician and lawyer who served as a member of the Chamber of Deputies for several terms in the late 19th century.
Throughout its history, the FUGUA surname has maintained its Italian roots and has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including artists, scholars, and public servants.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Fugua
Among Census respondents with the surname Fugua, the largest self-reported group is White at 57.5%. The next largest groups are Black (37.2%) and Two or More Races (5.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Fugua 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 Fugua surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White57.5% · 65
- Black or African American37.2% · 42
- Two or more races5.3% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Fugua
Fugua 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
#107,669
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 165
-140 bearers (-45.9%)
Per 100,000 0.06
Rank movement Down 46,125 places
2020
#147,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
-52 bearers (-31.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 39,552 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #61,544 | 305 | 0.11 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #107,669 | 165 | 0.06 | -140 bearers (-45.9%) | Down 46,125 places |
| 2020 | #147,221 | 113 | 0.04 | -52 bearers (-31.5%) | Down 39,552 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 Fugua 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 | #107,669 | #147,221 | -36.7% |
| Count | 165 | 113 | -31.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.06 | 0.04 | -37.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Fugua bearers went from 165 to 113 (-31.5% change). The surname moved down 39,552 positions in the national ranking, going from #107,669 to #147,221.
FAQ
Fugua surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Fugua?
Name Census estimates that about 130 living Americans carry the surname Fugua. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,636,572 residents.
How common is Fugua?
Fugua ranks #147,221 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 113 people with the surname Fugua. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (130), 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 Fugua.
Has Fugua become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Fugua went from 165 recorded bearers to 113. That is a decrease of 52 (-31.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #107,669 to #147,221.
What does the Census say about the background of Fugua?
Among Census respondents with the surname Fugua, the largest self-reported group is White at 57.5%. The next largest groups are Black (37.2%) and Two or More Races (5.3%). 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 Fugua in the 2020 Census, accounting for 57.5% (65 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Fugua appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (57.5%), Black (37.2%), Two or More Races (5.3%). 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 Fugua (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 Fugua mean?
A surname likely of Arabic/Moorish origin, derived from the word "fuqahā" meaning Islamic legal scholars or jurists. 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 Fugua (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 Fugua?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.