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

Refugio, 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 Refugio surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Refugio in America

Refugio is the 54530th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Refugio surname appeared 378 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 Refugio.

We can also compare 2010 data for Refugio 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 Refugio

The surname Refugio originates from Spain and can be traced back to the late 15th century. It is derived from the Spanish word "refugio," which means "refuge" or "shelter." This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who lived near a place of refuge or shelter, such as a church or a monastery.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Refugio can be found in the archives of the city of Seville, Spain, where a man named Juan Refugio is mentioned in a document dated 1492. This was the same year that Christopher Columbus set sail on his first voyage to the Americas, which could indicate that the name Refugio may have been brought to the New World by Spanish settlers.

In the 16th century, the name Refugio appeared in various parts of Spain, particularly in the regions of Andalusia and Extremadura. It is possible that the name was associated with certain place names, such as Refugio de los Montes or Refugio de las Sierras, which were areas that provided shelter or refuge in the rugged terrain of these regions.

One notable historical figure with the surname Refugio was Pedro Refugio, a Spanish soldier who fought in the Spanish-American War in the late 19th century. He was born in 1867 in Seville and died in 1898 during the Battle of San Juan Hill in Cuba.

Another individual of note was Maria Refugio, a Spanish nun who lived in the 17th century and founded a convent in the city of Cordoba. She was known for her charitable works and her dedication to providing refuge and assistance to those in need.

In the 18th century, a man named Francisco Refugio was a prominent landowner and rancher in the region of Nueva España (now Mexico). He is said to have established several cattle ranches and played a role in the development of the cattle industry in that area.

In the 19th century, a woman named Josefa Refugio was a celebrated writer and poet in Spain. She was born in 1820 in Andalusia and published several collections of poetry that dealt with themes of love, nature, and the human experience.

A more recent historical figure with the surname Refugio was Manuel Refugio, a Mexican artist and muralist who lived in the early 20th century. He was born in 1892 in Guadalajara and is known for his vibrant murals depicting scenes from Mexican history and culture.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Refugio

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

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

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

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