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

Quiroga, 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 Quiroga surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Quiroga in America

Quiroga is the 5824th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Quiroga surname appeared 5,937 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Quiroga.

We can also compare 2010 data for Quiroga 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 Quiroga

The surname Quiroga is of Spanish origin and can be traced back to the medieval era. It is believed to have originated from the Galician town of Quiroga, located in the northwestern region of Spain. The town's name is derived from the Latin word "quiricus," meaning "circle" or "ring," possibly referring to a circular shape or a settlement built around a ring-shaped defensive wall.

In the early Middle Ages, surnames were often derived from the names of places where people lived or were born. The earliest recorded instances of the surname Quiroga date back to the 13th century, when it appeared in various historical documents from the Kingdom of Galicia and the neighboring regions of northern Spain.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Pedro Quiroga, a nobleman and military leader who fought in the Reconquista, the campaign to reclaim the Iberian Peninsula from Moorish rule. He was born around 1220 and played a significant role in the capture of Seville in 1248.

During the 15th century, the surname Quiroga was associated with the noble family of the same name, who held significant landholdings and influence in the region of Galicia. Vasco Quiroga (1470-1565) was a prominent member of this family, known for his role as the first bishop of Michoacán in New Spain (now Mexico) and his efforts to protect the rights of indigenous peoples.

In the 16th century, another notable figure was Juan de Quiroga (1508-1565), a Spanish nobleman and military commander who served as the governor of New Spain (Mexico) from 1535 to 1537. He played a crucial role in the conquest and colonization of Central America and is remembered for his administrative reforms and efforts to establish order in the newly conquered territories.

Throughout the centuries, the Quiroga surname has been carried by several other notable individuals, including:

1. Antonio de Quiroga (1516-1594), a Spanish nobleman and military leader who served as the viceroy of New Spain from 1567 to 1576.
2. José Quiroga (1767-1784), a Spanish military officer and colonial administrator who served as the governor of Puerto Rico from 1781 to 1784.
3. Juan Rafael Quiroga (1790-1835), an Argentine military leader and politician who played a significant role in the Argentine War of Independence and served as the governor of Buenos Aires Province.
4. Vasco de Quiroga y Losada (1299-1367), a Spanish nobleman and military commander who participated in the reconquest of the Iberian Peninsula from the Moors.
5. Álvaro de Quiroga (1537-1594), a Spanish jurist and scholar who served as the president of the Council of the Indies, the highest governing body for the Spanish colonies in the Americas.

The surname Quiroga continues to be prevalent in Spain, particularly in the regions of Galicia and Asturias, as well as in various parts of Latin America, where it was introduced during the colonial era by Spanish settlers and conquistadors.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Quiroga

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

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

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

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