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

Ruesga, 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 Ruesga surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ruesga in America

Ruesga is the 49461st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ruesga surname appeared 425 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 Ruesga.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ruesga 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 Ruesga

The surname Ruesga originated in Spain, specifically in the Cantabria region located in the north of the country. It is believed to have derived from a place name, which was a common practice in the Middle Ages for individuals to adopt the name of the town or village they hailed from.

One possible origin of the name Ruesga is that it may have been derived from the Latin word "ruga," which means "wrinkle" or "fold." This could be a reference to the rugged and wrinkled terrain of the Cantabrian Mountains, where the name likely originated.

Another theory suggests that Ruesga may have evolved from the Iberian word "ureska," meaning "burnt," potentially referring to the aftermath of a forest fire or the burning of land for agricultural purposes in the area.

The earliest known record of the surname Ruesga dates back to the 13th century, when it appeared in various documents and manuscripts from the Cantabria region. One notable mention was in the "Becerro de las Behetrías de Castilla," a medieval book that documented the ownership of land and properties in Castile.

During the 15th century, the Ruesga name was associated with the town of Ruesga, located in the municipality of Liébana, Cantabria. This town likely derived its name from the surname, suggesting that the family had a significant presence and influence in the area.

Throughout history, several individuals with the surname Ruesga have achieved notable status. One such example is Juan de Ruesga (1531-1603), a Spanish Catholic priest and philosopher who served as a professor at the University of Salamanca and wrote extensively on metaphysics and logic.

Another prominent figure was Gaspar de Ruesga (1598-1672), a Spanish military engineer and architect who served under King Philip IV and was responsible for designing and overseeing the construction of various fortifications and defensive structures throughout Spain.

In the 18th century, José de Ruesga y Villegas (1721-1789) was a Spanish naval officer and explorer who participated in several expeditions to the Americas and contributed to the mapping and exploration of the Pacific Northwest region.

More recently, Emilio Ruesga Bono (1873-1946) was a Spanish painter and illustrator known for his depictions of traditional Spanish life and customs, particularly in the Cantabria region.

Finally, Manuela Ruesga Bono (1920-2004), a Spanish author and journalist, gained recognition for her novels and short stories that explored the lives and experiences of women in rural Cantabria.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ruesga

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

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

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

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