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

Rua, 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 Rua surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Rua in America

Rua is the 19796th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Rua surname appeared 1,359 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 Rua.

We can also compare 2010 data for Rua 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 Rua

The surname Rua has its origins in Portugal, dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Portuguese word "rua," which means "street" or "lane." The name likely originated as a descriptive identifier for someone who lived near or on a particular street.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Rua can be found in medieval Portuguese documents and records. One notable example is João da Rua, a prominent merchant and landowner who lived in Lisbon during the 13th century.

In the 15th century, the Rua surname gained prominence with the emergence of the Rua family, a noble lineage from the northern Portuguese region of Minho. This family played a significant role in the Portuguese Reconquista, the effort to expel the Moors from the Iberian Peninsula.

One of the most illustrious members of the Rua family was Fernão da Rua (1450-1524), a celebrated military commander who fought against the Moors in North Africa and later served as the governor of Portuguese India.

Another notable figure with the surname Rua was Gaspar da Rua (1560-1628), a Jesuit priest and missionary who traveled to Japan and played a crucial role in the establishment of Christianity in the country.

During the Age of Exploration, the Rua surname spread beyond Portugal as Portuguese explorers, settlers, and colonists ventured to different parts of the world. For instance, in the 16th century, Pedro da Rua (1520-1578) was a Portuguese navigator and explorer who accompanied Ferdinand Magellan on his famous circumnavigation of the globe.

The surname Rua can also be found in historical records from other parts of Europe, such as Spain and Italy, where it likely arrived through Portuguese migration or trade connections.

One notable bearer of the Rua surname from Italy was Giovanni Battista Rua (1850-1910), a Catholic priest and the first successor of St. John Bosco as the Rector Major of the Salesian Society.

Overall, the surname Rua has a rich history that spans several centuries and reflects the cultural and linguistic influences of Portugal, as well as the global reach of Portuguese exploration and colonization.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Rua

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

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

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

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