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

Melgoza, 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 Melgoza surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Melgoza in America

Melgoza is the 6511th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Melgoza surname appeared 5,211 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Melgoza.

We can also compare 2010 data for Melgoza 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 Melgoza

The surname MELGOZA has its origins in Spain, tracing back to the medieval period around the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Spanish word "melga," which referred to a strip of cultivated land. This suggests that the name may have been initially associated with agricultural or farming communities.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname can be found in the "Becerro de las Behetrías de Castilla" (Register of Behetrias of Castile), a document from the 14th century that listed names and properties in various regions of Spain. The name appears in different spellings, such as "Melgoza" and "Melgosa," indicating variations in usage.

Historical records indicate that the surname was particularly prevalent in the regions of Castile and León, where many families bearing the name resided. In the 16th century, Juan Melgoza was a notable figure from Valladolid, known for his involvement in the military campaigns of King Charles I of Spain (also known as Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor).

Another prominent bearer of the MELGOZA surname was Francisca Melgoza, a Spanish nun who lived in the 17th century and played a significant role in the founding of the Convent of Santa Clara in Quito, Ecuador. Her contributions to the religious and cultural life of the region earned her recognition and respect.

In the 18th century, Pedro Melgoza was a influential landowner and businessman from the city of León, Spain. His involvement in the local economy and politics made him a prominent figure in the region during that time period.

Moving further into the 19th century, Francisco Melgoza y Almanza was a Mexican military officer and politician who actively participated in the Mexican War of Independence against Spanish rule. He was born in 1790 and played a crucial role in the struggle for Mexican independence, earning him a place in the annals of the country's history.

Throughout its history, the MELGOZA surname has been associated with various regions of Spain, particularly Castile and León, before spreading to other parts of the world, such as Latin America, through Spanish colonization and migration. While the name has undergone minor spelling variations, its origins can be traced back to the agricultural roots and historical significance of the medieval era in Spain.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Melgoza

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!