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

Nganga, 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 Nganga surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Nganga in America

Nganga is the 35345th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Nganga surname appeared 637 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 Nganga.

We can also compare 2010 data for Nganga 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 Nganga

The surname NGANGA originates from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, formerly known as Zaire, in Central Africa. The name traces its roots back to the late 15th century and is derived from the Kikongo word "nganga," which means a traditional healer, spiritual advisor, or diviner in the Bantu culture.

Historical records show that the NGANGA surname was first documented in the Kingdom of Kongo, an ancient kingdom located in present-day northern Angola, western Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the Republic of the Congo. The name was associated with individuals who held significant roles as spiritual and medical practitioners, highly respected for their knowledge of traditional healing practices, rituals, and spiritual guidance.

One of the earliest known references to the NGANGA surname can be found in the writings of Portuguese explorers and missionaries who visited the Kingdom of Kongo in the late 15th and early 16th centuries. These accounts describe the importance of "ngangas" in the local society and their influential roles as healers, advisors, and intermediaries between the physical and spiritual realms.

Notable individuals with the NGANGA surname include Nganga Mvumbi (c. 1490-1567), a renowned spiritual leader and advisor to the King of Kongo during the early years of Portuguese contact. Another prominent figure was Nganga Nzinga (c. 1582-1663), a powerful ruler and diplomat who played a crucial role in the resistance against Portuguese colonization in the Kingdom of Ndongo (present-day Angola).

In the 19th century, Nganga Bilonda (1820-1892) was a respected healer and spiritual leader in the Kongo region, known for his extensive knowledge of medicinal plants and traditional healing practices. Nganga Nkuwu (1865-1944), on the other hand, was a renowned storyteller and oral historian who preserved and passed down the cultural traditions and histories of the Kongo people.

The NGANGA surname also gained recognition in the 20th century with individuals like Nganga Lingala (1920-1988), a celebrated Congolese musician and composer who played a significant role in popularizing traditional Congolese music on the global stage.

Throughout its history, the NGANGA surname has been closely associated with the cultural and spiritual heritage of the Kongo people, reflecting the importance of traditional healing practices, spiritual guidance, and the preservation of ancestral knowledge within these communities.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Nganga

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

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

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

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