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

Paniagua, 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 Paniagua surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Paniagua in America

Paniagua is the 3455th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Paniagua surname appeared 10,340 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname Paniagua.

We can also compare 2010 data for Paniagua 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 Paniagua

The surname Paniagua originates from Spain, specifically from the region of Andalusia in southern Spain. It dates back to the Middle Ages, around the 12th century, during the time of the Reconquista, when Christians were retaking territories from the Moors.

The name is believed to be derived from the Spanish words "pan" meaning bread, and "agua" meaning water, likely referring to a place where bread was made or where there was a source of water, such as a stream or a well. It could also be a combination of the words "pan" and the Latin word "aqua," meaning water.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Paniagua can be found in the "Becerro de las Behetrias" (Book of Bachelorhoods), a medieval document from the 14th century that recorded the names of landowners and the distribution of land in the region of Castile.

In the 16th century, a notable figure with the surname Paniagua was Fray Juan de Paniagua, a Spanish monk and theologian who lived from 1520 to 1583. He was known for his writings on moral theology and his involvement in the Council of Trent.

Another prominent individual with this surname was Rodrigo de Paniagua, a Spanish explorer and conquistador who participated in the conquest of Peru in the 16th century, alongside Francisco Pizarro.

In the 18th century, José Paniagua y Portocarrero (1711-1789) was a Spanish politician and diplomat who served as the Minister of the Indies under King Charles III.

The surname Paniagua can also be found in various place names in Spain, such as Paniagua de Duero, a municipality in the province of Soria, and Paniagua de Soria, a village in the same province.

Throughout history, the surname Paniagua has been associated with individuals from various professions, including clergy, explorers, politicians, and landowners, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and roles of those who bore this name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Paniagua

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

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

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

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