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

Nicaragua, 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 Nicaragua surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Nicaragua in America

Nicaragua is the 129825th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Nicaragua surname appeared 131 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 Nicaragua.

We can also compare 2010 data for Nicaragua 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 Nicaragua

The surname "Nicaragua" originates from the Spanish explorers and settlers who arrived in Central America during the 16th century. It is derived from the indigenous Nahuatl language spoken by the Nicarao people, who inhabited the western region of present-day Nicaragua.

The name "Nicaragua" is believed to have been first recorded in the writings of the Spanish conquistador, Gonzalo Fernández de Oviedo y Valdés, who served as the governor of the region in the early 1500s. In his chronicles, he referred to the land as "Nicarao-agua," which translates to "here is water" or "surrounded by water."

One of the earliest known individuals to bear the surname "Nicaragua" was Juan de Nicaragua, a Spanish soldier and explorer who accompanied Hernán Cortés on his expedition to Mexico in 1519. Records indicate that he was born in Spain in the late 15th century and died in Mexico sometime after 1524.

In the 17th century, the name "Nicaragua" appeared in several historical documents related to the Spanish colonial administration of the region. For instance, Pedro de Nicaragua was a prominent landowner and cattle rancher who lived in the city of Granada, Nicaragua, during the mid-1600s.

The surname also has connections to notable figures in the fight for Nicaraguan independence from Spanish rule. José Dolores Nicaragua was a revolutionary leader who played a crucial role in the uprising against the Spanish Crown in the early 19th century. He was born in León, Nicaragua, in 1785 and was executed by Spanish authorities in 1813.

Another historical figure with the surname "Nicaragua" was María de Nicaragua, a renowned poet and writer who lived in the city of Granada in the late 18th century. Her collection of poems, "Flores de Granada," published in 1792, is considered one of the earliest works of Nicaraguan literature.

In the 20th century, the name "Nicaragua" gained further prominence with individuals like Carlos Nicaragua, a prominent Nicaraguan politician and diplomat who served as the country's ambassador to the United States from 1941 to 1947.

These are just a few examples of the historical significance and usage of the surname "Nicaragua," which continues to be carried by individuals with ties to the Central American nation.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Nicaragua

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

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

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

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