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

Murga, 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 Murga surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Murga in America

Murga is the 19210th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Murga surname appeared 1,413 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 Murga.

We can also compare 2010 data for Murga 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 Murga

The surname Murga is believed to have originated in Spain, primarily in the region of Catalonia. It is thought to have derived from the Catalan word "murga," which means a type of songbird or small migratory bird.

Historical records suggest that the name first emerged in the 12th or 13th century, during the height of the Reconquista period in Spain. It is possible that the name was initially used as a nickname or a descriptive term for someone who exhibited bird-like characteristics or had a connection with these small birds.

One of the earliest known references to the surname Murga can be found in the records of the Monasterio de Piedra, a Cistercian monastery located in Aragon, Spain. The records date back to the late 13th century and mention a certain Pedro Murga, who was a landowner in the region.

In the 15th century, the surname appeared in various documents and manuscripts from Catalonia, often associated with individuals involved in agricultural or rural activities. For instance, the Llibre del Repartiment de València, a historical record from the 13th century, mentions a Juan Murga as one of the settlers in the newly conquered region of Valencia.

One notable individual with the surname Murga was Jerónimo Murga, a Spanish military officer and explorer who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. He was part of the expeditions that explored and colonized parts of present-day Venezuela and Colombia.

Another prominent figure was María Murga y Lafora (1765-1837), a Spanish noblewoman and writer who was known for her poetry and literary works. She was born in Cádiz and was a member of the prestigious Royal Spanish Academy.

In the 19th century, José Murga y Reyes (1829-1905) was a prominent Peruvian politician and diplomat who served as the President of Peru for a brief period in 1890.

Another individual of note was Horacio Murga (1896-1980), an Argentine composer and musician who made significant contributions to the tango genre. He was born in Buenos Aires and is considered one of the pioneers of the tango's golden age.

The surname Murga has also been associated with various place names in Spain, such as Murga de Jalón, a municipality in the province of Zaragoza, and Murga, a locality in the province of Álava. These place names may have influenced the spread and popularity of the surname in certain regions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Murga

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

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

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

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