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

Macapagal, 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 Macapagal surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Macapagal in America

Macapagal is the 41959th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Macapagal surname appeared 518 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 Macapagal.

We can also compare 2010 data for Macapagal 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 Macapagal

The surname MACAPAGAL is of Filipino origin, tracing its roots back to the early 20th century in the Philippines. It is believed to have derived from the Tagalog words "maca" meaning "to reach" or "to attain," and "pagal," meaning "work" or "labor." This combination suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who achieved success through hard work or diligence.

The earliest known historical reference to the MACAPAGAL surname can be found in records from the province of Pampanga, located in the central Luzon region of the Philippines. It is in this area where the name was first documented, potentially indicating the family's ancestral roots.

One of the earliest and most notable individuals to bear the MACAPAGAL surname was Diosdado Macapagal, who served as the ninth President of the Philippines from 1961 to 1965. Born in 1910 in Lubao, Pampanga, he played a significant role in the country's political landscape and is credited with introducing reforms such as the Land Reform Code and the Agricultural Land Reform Code.

Another prominent figure with the MACAPAGAL surname was Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, who served as the 14th President of the Philippines from 2001 to 2010. She was born in 1947 in San Juan, Metro Manila, and is the daughter of Diosdado Macapagal. Her presidency was marked by economic reforms and a focus on combating corruption.

In the realm of literature, the name MACAPAGAL is associated with the Filipino poet and writer Alejandro G. Macapagal, who was born in 1945 in Rosales, Pangasinan. His works explored themes of social justice and the struggles of the working class, reflecting the potential origins of the surname.

Another notable individual with the MACAPAGAL surname was Feliciano Macapagal, a Filipino politician and lawyer who served as a Senator of the Philippines from 1949 to 1955. He was born in 1884 in Pampanga and played a significant role in shaping the country's legal framework during the early years of independence.

It is worth noting that while the MACAPAGAL surname has its roots in the Philippines, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to migration and diaspora communities. However, the historical records and earliest known examples of the name remain firmly rooted in the central Luzon region of the Philippines.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Macapagal

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

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

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

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