Mungo last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Mungo

A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic term "muingeach" meaning "dear one" or "darling".

Mungo, 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 Mungo surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Mungo in America

Mungo is the 19538th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Mungo surname appeared 1,382 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 Mungo.

We can also compare 2010 data for Mungo 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.

20102000Change (%)
Rank19538189942.82%
Count1,3821,3274.06%
Proportion per 100k0.470.49-4.17%

The history of the last name Mungo

The surname Mungo is of Scottish origin, with its roots tracing back to the 6th century. It is believed to have derived from the Gaelic term "mun-cu," which translates to "dear little friend" or "beloved one." The name is closely associated with St. Mungo, the patron saint of Glasgow, who lived during the late 6th and early 7th centuries.

The earliest recorded instances of the name Mungo can be found in medieval Scottish records and charters. In the 12th century, a certain "Mungo of Roxburgh" is mentioned in the Chartulary of Kelso Abbey, indicating the presence of individuals bearing this surname in the region.

One notable figure in history with the surname Mungo was Sir Thomas Mungo, a Scottish knight who fought alongside Robert the Bruce in the Wars of Scottish Independence during the early 14th century. He is mentioned in Walter Bower's Scotichronicon, a 15th-century chronicle of Scottish history.

In the late 16th century, a prominent minister named John Mungo served as the minister of Edinample Parish in Perthshire. He was known for his staunch defence of the Reformed faith during the tumultuous religious conflicts of that era.

The surname Mungo has also been associated with several place names in Scotland, such as Mungo's Well in Glasgow, a natural spring named after St. Mungo. Additionally, the village of Mungoswells in East Lothian likely derives its name from a connection to individuals bearing the Mungo surname.

During the 17th century, a notable figure named Alexander Mungo emerged as a prominent merchant and landowner in Aberdeenshire. His descendants continued to play influential roles in the region's economic and social spheres for generations.

Another historical figure worth mentioning is William Mungo, a Scottish scholar and writer who lived in the late 18th century. He authored several works on Scottish history and culture, contributing to the preservation and dissemination of Scottish heritage.

While the surname Mungo has seen various spellings over the centuries, including Mongow, Mungho, and Mungo, it has remained closely tied to its Scottish roots and the legacy of St. Mungo, the revered patron saint of Glasgow.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Mungo

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

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 Mungo was:

Race/EthnicityPercentageTotal Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only40.88%565
Non-Hispanic Black Only52.10%720
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only2.39%33
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native(S)%(S)
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races(S)%(S)
Hispanic Origin2.46%34

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 Mungo has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

20102000Change (%)
White40.88%40.62%0.64%
Black52.10%49.81%4.49%
Asian and Pacific Islander2.39%5.28%-75.36%
American Indian and Alaskan Native(S)%0.53%(S)%
Two or More Races(S)%2.26%(S)%
Hispanic2.46%1.51%47.86%

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

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

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