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

Madrigal, 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 Madrigal surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Madrigal in America

Madrigal is the 1299th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Madrigal surname appeared 27,033 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 9 people would have the surname Madrigal.

We can also compare 2010 data for Madrigal 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 Madrigal

The surname Madrigal has its origins in Spain, tracing back to the medieval era. It is derived from the Spanish word "madrigal," which refers to a type of secular vocal music composition popular during the Renaissance period. The name likely originated as a descriptive term for individuals associated with this musical art form, such as composers, performers, or patrons.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Madrigal can be found in various Spanish historical documents and records from the 15th and 16th centuries. One notable example is the mention of a certain Juan Madrigal in the chronicles of the Castilian kingdom during the reign of King Juan II in the early 15th century.

In the 16th century, the Madrigal name gained prominence with the birth of Alonso Madrigal (1489-1555), a Spanish Catholic prelate and theologian who served as the Bishop of Ávila. He was also known as Alonso de Madrigal or Alonso Tostado, and his works significantly influenced religious thought during the Renaissance era.

Another prominent figure bearing the Madrigal surname was Tomás Madrigal (1578-1637), a Spanish Baroque painter renowned for his religious artwork and contributions to the Sevillian school of painting. His works can be found in various churches and museums throughout Spain.

The Madrigal surname also has ties to certain place names in Spain, such as the village of Madrigal de las Altas Torres in the province of Ávila. This village is known for its historical associations with Queen Isabella I of Castile, who was born there in 1451.

In the realm of literature, the Madrigal name is mentioned in Miguel de Cervantes' famous novel "Don Quixote." In one of the chapters, the protagonist encounters a group of travelers, including a man named Madrigal, who becomes involved in a humorous exchange with Don Quixote.

Other notable individuals with the Madrigal surname include Pedro Madrigal (1589-1661), a Spanish Jesuit missionary and linguist who worked in the Philippines and produced important works on the Tagalog language, and María Madrigal (1756-1832), a Spanish poet and writer from Cádiz renowned for her romantic and satirical compositions.

While the surname Madrigal has its roots in Spain, it has since spread to various parts of the world, including Latin America, due to Spanish colonization and migration. However, its origins and rich historical associations remain deeply intertwined with the vibrant cultural heritage of Spain.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Madrigal

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

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

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

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