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

Portugal, 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 Portugal surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Portugal in America

Portugal is the 13456th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Portugal surname appeared 2,263 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Portugal.

We can also compare 2010 data for Portugal 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 Portugal

The surname Portugal is a locational name that originated in the country of Portugal, situated on the Iberian Peninsula in southwestern Europe. It is derived from the Latin word "Portus Cale," which referred to the Roman settlement that eventually became the modern city of Porto. The name likely emerged as a way to identify individuals who hailed from this region during the Middle Ages.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname can be found in the Livro de Linhagens, a 14th-century Portuguese genealogical record, which mentions individuals with the name Portugal. Additionally, the Chancery Rolls of England from the 13th and 14th centuries contain references to people with variations of the surname, such as Portyngale and Portingall.

The name Portugal has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One of the most famous was Afonso de Albuquerque (1453-1515), a Portuguese explorer and military commander who played a significant role in establishing Portuguese colonial rule in the Indian Ocean. Another prominent figure was Francisco de Portugal (1460-1549), a Portuguese nobleman and military leader who served as the 4th Count of Vimioso.

In the artistic realm, Domingos Antonio de Sequeira (1768-1837) was a celebrated Portuguese painter and educator who was considered a leading figure in the Neoclassical movement in his country. João de Almeida Portugal (1700-1769) was a renowned 18th-century Portuguese architect and sculptor, known for his contributions to the Baroque and Rococo styles.

The name Portugal has also been associated with religious figures, such as Frei Thomé de Jesus (1529-1582), a Portuguese Roman Catholic missionary and writer who played a significant role in the evangelization efforts in Asia during the 16th century.

Throughout its history, the surname Portugal has been closely tied to its geographical origins and has been borne by individuals from various walks of life, including explorers, nobility, artists, and religious figures, reflecting the rich cultural heritage of the Portuguese people.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Portugal

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

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

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

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