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

Pego, 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 Pego surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Pego in America

Pego is the 80419th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Pego surname appeared 236 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 Pego.

We can also compare 2010 data for Pego 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 Pego

The surname Pego is believed to have originated in Portugal, with its earliest recorded use dating back to the 15th century. The name is thought to derive from the Portuguese word "pego," which means "pool" or "puddle," likely referring to a geographical feature near where the original bearers of the name lived.

One of the earliest known references to the surname Pego can be found in the historical records of the town of Guimarães, located in northern Portugal. These records mention a certain João Pego, who was a landowner and prominent figure in the community during the late 15th century.

In the 16th century, the Pego surname began to spread beyond its initial geographical origins, with members of the family appearing in various parts of Portugal and its overseas territories. One notable individual from this era was Álvaro Pego, a Portuguese explorer and navigator who participated in several expeditions to the Americas and the East Indies in the early 1500s.

By the 17th century, the Pego surname had gained a foothold in other parts of Europe, particularly in Spain and Italy. In Spain, the name was sometimes spelled as "Pego" or "Peco," while in Italy it was often rendered as "Pego" or "Peggo." One of the most prominent figures bearing this surname in the Italian context was Francesco Pego, a renowned architect and engineer who designed several important buildings in Venice during the late 17th century.

As the centuries progressed, the Pego surname continued to spread across the globe, following the migration patterns of Portuguese and Spanish settlers. In the 19th century, for instance, there were notable individuals with the Pego surname living in various parts of Latin America, including Josefa Pego, a Chilean writer and feminist activist who advocated for women's rights in the early 1800s.

Other notable individuals with the surname Pego throughout history include:

1. Manuel Pego (1634-1700), a Portuguese painter known for his works depicting religious themes.
2. Joaquim Pego (1797-1872), a Brazilian military officer and politician who served as the governor of the province of Rio Grande do Sul in the mid-19th century.
3. Luís Pego (1901-1988), a Spanish sculptor and ceramist who was influential in the modernist art movement in Spain.
4. Armando Pego (1936-2016), a Portuguese actor and theater director who had a prolific career spanning over six decades.
5. María Pego (born 1972), a Spanish writer and journalist known for her novels and works of non-fiction exploring social and cultural issues.

While the surname Pego has its roots in Portugal and the Iberian Peninsula, it has since become dispersed across various parts of the world, with notable bearers of the name leaving their mark in various fields such as art, literature, politics, and exploration.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Pego

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

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

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

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