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

Pigao, 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 Pigao surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Pigao in America

Pigao is the 135593rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Pigao surname appeared 124 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 Pigao.

We can also compare 2010 data for Pigao 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 Pigao

The surname PIGAO is believed to have originated in the Philippines during the Spanish colonial period in the 16th to 19th centuries. It is a Spanish adaptation of a Filipino name, likely derived from the Tagalog language spoken in the region around Manila and surrounding provinces.

One theory suggests that PIGAO may have roots in the Tagalog word "pigaw," which means "to touch" or "to feel." This could potentially indicate an occupation or descriptive meaning related to a profession involving tactile work, such as a masseuse or healer. However, the exact etymology remains uncertain.

Early records of the PIGAO surname can be found in church records and census documents from the Spanish colonial era in the Philippines. One of the earliest known references is in a baptismal record from 1723 in the town of Taal, Batangas, which mentions a child named Juan PIGAO.

During the 19th century, several notable individuals bore the PIGAO surname. Mariano PIGAO (1812-1887) was a Filipino landowner and vocal advocate for Philippine independence from Spanish rule. His son, Emilio PIGAO (1845-1913), was a prominent lawyer and politician who served as a delegate to the Malolos Congress during the Philippine Revolution.

Another prominent figure was Josefa PIGAO (1768-1842), a respected midwife and traditional healer in the province of Bulacan. She was renowned for her expertise in traditional Filipino medicine and passed her knowledge down through generations.

In the late 19th century, the surname PIGAO also appeared in records from the town of Pigao, located in the province of Abra. It is possible that the surname may have derived from this place name, though the town's origins and connection to the surname are unclear.

During the American colonial period in the early 20th century, the PIGAO surname continued to be found in various parts of the Philippines. Notable individuals included Gregorio PIGAO (1879-1958), a teacher and advocate for education reform in the province of Iloilo, and Remedios PIGAO (1892-1972), a renowned writer and poet from Pampanga.

While the PIGAO surname is relatively uncommon globally, it remains a distinct part of Filipino cultural heritage, with its roots tracing back to the Spanish colonial era and potentially even earlier origins in the pre-colonial Philippines.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Pigao

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

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

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

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