2000
#17,846
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,446
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.54
Rare Last name
Parga
A surname of Greek origin referring to someone from the town of Parga.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,260 Americans carry the last name Parga. That puts it at #14,538 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.66 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 151,661 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Parga surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
2.3K
1 in 151,661
Census rank
#14,538
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,971 bearers of the surname Parga in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.66 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14538th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Parga, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 90.3%. The next largest groups are White (9.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Parga
The surname PARGA is of Spanish origin, deriving from the town of Parga in the province of Lugo, Galicia. The name is believed to have emerged in the 12th century, with the earliest recorded instances appearing in medieval Spanish records.
PARGA is thought to have stemmed from the Latin word "parra," meaning "vine" or "grapevine." This linguistic connection suggests that the name may have initially referred to individuals who cultivated vineyards or resided in areas abundant with grapevines.
One notable historical reference to the surname PARGA can be found in the 14th century "Libro de la Montería," a hunting treatise commissioned by King Alfonso XI of Castile. This text mentioned a certain Pedro PARGA, who was likely a landowner or nobleman associated with the region of Parga.
In the 16th century, records from the Inquisition trials in Spain reveal the existence of a family by the name of PARGA residing in the town of Seville. This suggests that the surname had spread from its northern origins to other parts of the country by that time.
Some of the earliest recorded individuals bearing the PARGA surname include Juan PARGA, born in 1512 in Galicia, who was a renowned scholar and theologian at the University of Salamanca, and Rodrigo PARGA, born in 1567 in Seville, who was a prominent merchant and trader in the Spanish colonies of the Americas.
Another notable figure was María PARGA, born in 1702 in Cádiz, who was a celebrated poet and writer during the Spanish Baroque period. Her works were widely acclaimed and influenced the literary culture of her time.
In the 19th century, a notable bearer of the PARGA surname was General José PARGA, born in 1787 in Lugo, who served in the Spanish army during the Peninsular War against the French invasion. He played a significant role in the defense of his homeland and became a celebrated military hero.
Throughout history, the surname PARGA has been associated with various professions, including scholars, merchants, writers, and military figures, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and achievements of those who carried this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Parga
Among Census respondents with the surname Parga, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 90.3%. The next largest groups are White (9.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Parga bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Parga surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino90.3% · 1,779
- White9.1% · 180
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.2% · 4
- Black or African American0.2% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 3
- Two or more races0.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Parga
Parga appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#15,477
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,892
+446 bearers (+30.8%)
Per 100,000 0.64
Rank movement Up 2,369 places
2020
#14,538
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,971
+79 bearers (+4.2%)
Per 100,000 0.66
Rank movement Up 939 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #17,846 | 1,446 | 0.54 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #15,477 | 1,892 | 0.64 | +446 bearers (+30.8%) | Up 2,369 places |
| 2020 | #14,538 | 1,971 | 0.66 | +79 bearers (+4.2%) | Up 939 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Parga surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #15,477 | #14,538 | 6.1% |
| Count | 1,892 | 1,971 | 4.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.64 | 0.66 | 3.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Parga bearers went from 1,892 to 1,971 (+4.2% change). The surname moved up 939 positions in the national ranking, going from #15,477 to #14,538.
FAQ
Parga surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Parga?
Name Census estimates that about 2,260 living Americans carry the surname Parga. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 151,661 residents.
How common is Parga?
Parga ranks #14,538 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.66 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,971 people with the surname Parga. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,260), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.66 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.66 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Parga.
Has Parga become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Parga went from 1,892 recorded bearers to 1,971. That is an increase of 79 (+4.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #15,477 to #14,538.
What does the Census say about the background of Parga?
Among Census respondents with the surname Parga, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 90.3%. The next largest groups are White (9.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.2%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Parga in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.3% (1,779 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Parga appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (90.3%), White (9.1%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.2%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Parga (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Parga mean?
A surname of Greek origin referring to someone from the town of Parga. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Parga (0.66 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the last name Parga?
You can see how common the surname Parga is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.