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

Moraga, 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 Moraga surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Moraga in America

Moraga is the 13186th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Moraga surname appeared 2,318 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Moraga.

We can also compare 2010 data for Moraga 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 Moraga

The surname Moraga has its origins in Spain, with the first recorded instances dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Arabic word "murahha," meaning "pleasant place" or "resting place." This suggests that the name may have originated from a place name, likely referring to a location that was considered a desirable or peaceful area.

The earliest known mention of the Moraga surname can be found in documents from the region of Andalusia, which was under Moorish rule during the medieval period. Records from this time indicate that the name was particularly prevalent in the areas around the cities of Seville and Cordoba.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the Moraga surname was Don Pedro de Moraga, a prominent landowner and military leader who lived in the 13th century. He played a significant role in the Reconquista, the Christian reconquest of the Iberian Peninsula from the Moors.

During the 15th and 16th centuries, the Moraga family gained prominence in the region of Galicia, located in northwestern Spain. Notable figures from this period include Alonso de Moraga, a renowned poet and scholar born in 1472, and Fernán de Moraga, a celebrated explorer and navigator who accompanied Hernán Cortés on his expeditions to the Americas in the early 16th century.

In the 18th century, a branch of the Moraga family migrated to the New World, settling in what is now California. One of the most notable figures from this period was José Joaquín Moraga, a Spanish military officer born in 1735. He played a crucial role in the exploration and colonization of Alta California, founding several missions and presidios, including the Presidio of San Francisco.

Another prominent individual was Joaquín Isidro Moraga, born in 1745, who served as the Lieutenant Governor of Alta California from 1784 to 1792. He was instrumental in the establishment of several missions and pueblos, including the Pueblo de Los Ángeles.

The Moraga surname has also been associated with various place names throughout history. For example, the town of Moraga in Contra Costa County, California, was named after the Moraga family, who owned a large land grant in the area. Additionally, there are several geographic features bearing the name, such as the Moraga Canyon and the Moraga Fault, reflecting the family's significant presence in the region.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Moraga

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

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

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

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