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

Melgosa, 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 Melgosa surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Melgosa in America

Melgosa is the 73911th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Melgosa surname appeared 262 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 Melgosa.

We can also compare 2010 data for Melgosa 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 Melgosa

The surname Melgosa originated in Spain, specifically in the region of Castile and León. Its roots can be traced back to the medieval period, around the 12th or 13th century. The name Melgosa is believed to have derived from a Basque or pre-Roman word meaning "honey-colored" or "golden," referring to the color of the soil or vegetation in the area where the family resided.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Melgosa can be found in the "Becerro de las Behetrías de Castilla," a medieval document from the 14th century that listed the nobility and landowners in Castile. This document mentions a Pero Melgosa as a landowner in the village of Castrillo de la Vega.

During the 15th century, the Melgosa family gained prominence in the city of Burgos, where they held positions of power and influence. One notable figure was Juan Melgosa, a wealthy merchant and alderman of Burgos in the late 1400s.

In the 16th century, the name Melgosa appeared in various historical records and documents, such as the "Catastro de Ensenada," a census-like survey conducted in Spain during the reign of King Philip V. This document mentions several individuals with the surname Melgosa living in different parts of Castile.

Over the centuries, the Melgosa family spread across Spain and even to the Americas during the Spanish colonization. One notable figure was Diego Melgosa, a Spanish conquistador who participated in the conquest of Peru in the mid-16th century under Francisco Pizarro.

Another prominent individual was Fray Juan Melgosa, a Catholic priest and missionary who lived in the 17th century. He was known for his work in evangelizing indigenous communities in Mexico and is considered a significant figure in the history of the Catholic Church in that region.

In the 18th century, the Melgosa surname was associated with several notable military figures. One example is General José Melgosa, who served in the Spanish Army during the Peninsular War against the French in the early 1800s.

As the Melgosa family continued to spread and establish themselves in different parts of Spain and its colonies, variations in the spelling of the name emerged, such as Melgosa, Melgosso, and Melgoza.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Melgosa

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

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

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

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