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

Pareja, 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 Pareja surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Pareja in America

Pareja is the 19590th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Pareja surname appeared 1,377 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 Pareja.

We can also compare 2010 data for Pareja 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 Pareja

The surname Pareja originated in Spain, specifically in the regions of Castile and Andalusia. It likely emerged during the medieval period, derived from the Spanish word "pareja," which means a couple or pair. This suggests that the name may have initially referred to twins or siblings.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Pareja surname can be found in the Cartularios de Valpuesta, a collection of medieval documents from the Monastery of Valpuesta in Burgos, dating back to the 11th century. These records mention individuals with the name Pareja, indicating its presence in the region during that time.

In the 13th century, the Pareja surname appears in the Repartimiento de Sevilla, a document detailing the distribution of land and properties in Seville after the Christian conquest of the city in 1248. This suggests that individuals with the Pareja surname were among the settlers who repopulated the area after the Reconquista.

Notable historical figures bearing the Pareja surname include Juan de Pareja (1606-1670), a Spanish painter and former slave who gained his freedom and became a respected artist in the court of King Philip IV. His works can be found in the Museo del Prado in Madrid.

Another notable individual was Pedro Pareja y Cortés (1644-1708), a Spanish nobleman and military officer who served as the Governor of Panama from 1694 to 1700. He played a significant role in the defense of the isthmus against pirate attacks.

In the 16th century, the Pareja surname was associated with the town of Pareja, located in the province of Guadalajara, Castile-La Mancha. This place name likely influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname in that region.

During the 18th century, Pedro Pareja y Obregón (1715-1786) was a Spanish scholar and theologian who served as the Bishop of Cuenca from 1765 until his death. He was known for his contributions to theological writings and his role in the Spanish Enlightenment.

Another notable figure was Joaquín Pareja y Leyva (1785-1846), a Spanish military officer and politician who served as the Minister of War during the reign of Queen Isabella II. He played a crucial role in the First Carlist War, defending the throne against the Carlist forces.

Throughout history, the Pareja surname has been found in various spellings, such as Parexa, Pareia, and Paregja, reflecting regional variations and linguistic influences. However, the core meaning and origin of the name remain rooted in the Spanish word "pareja" and its association with couples or pairs.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Pareja

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

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

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

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