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

Ilunga, 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 Ilunga surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ilunga in America

Ilunga is the 100302nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ilunga surname appeared 180 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 Ilunga.

The history of the last name Ilunga

The surname Ilunga originates from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), formerly known as Zaire, in Central Africa. Its roots can be traced back to the early 19th century, when the name first appeared in various regions of the country.

Ilunga is believed to be derived from the Lingala language, one of the major languages spoken in the DRC. The word "ilunga" is thought to mean "a person of high moral character" or "a respected individual" in Lingala. This suggests that the surname may have initially been used to denote someone who was held in high esteem within their community.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Ilunga can be found in historical documents from the late 19th century, during the era of Belgian colonization in the Congo. One notable figure bearing this surname was Patrice Emery Lumumba Ilunga, a Congolese politician and independence leader who played a crucial role in the country's struggle for independence from Belgium in the 1960s.

Among the earliest known individuals with the surname Ilunga was Nsala Ilunga, a prominent chief and leader of the Kongo people in the late 19th century. His name is mentioned in various colonial records and accounts from that time period.

Another historical figure worth mentioning is Kasa-Vubu Ilunga, a Congolese politician and the first president of the Democratic Republic of the Congo after independence in 1960. He served as the country's head of state until 1965.

In the realm of literature, the name Ilunga gained recognition through the works of Valentin-Yves Mudimbe, a Congolese philosopher and author born in 1941. His novel "Entre les Eaux" (Between the Waters), published in 1973, features characters with the surname Ilunga.

Lastly, it is worth noting that the surname Ilunga has also been associated with various place names and geographical locations within the DRC. For instance, there is a town called Ilunga located in the Kasai-Occidental province, which may have contributed to the spread and usage of the surname in that region.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ilunga

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

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 Ilunga 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.

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

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

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