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

Rugama, 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 Rugama surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Rugama in America

Rugama is the 47429th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Rugama surname appeared 447 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 Rugama.

We can also compare 2010 data for Rugama 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 Rugama

The surname RUGAMA originated in the region of Galicia, located in the northwest corner of Spain, during the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Spanish word "ruga," which means a wrinkle or fold, possibly referring to the geographical features of the area where the name originated.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the RUGAMA surname can be traced back to the 13th century, when it appeared in a manuscript documenting land ownership in the village of Rugama, located in the province of Lugo, Galicia. This village likely took its name from the surname, suggesting that the RUGAMA family had established roots in the area centuries earlier.

In the 15th century, a nobleman named Juan de Rugama was mentioned in chronicles as a loyal supporter of King Ferdinand II of Aragon during the Spanish unification under the Catholic Monarchs. Unfortunately, no specific dates of birth or death are known for this individual.

During the 16th century, the RUGAMA name gained prominence in the neighboring region of Asturias, where a family bearing this surname was granted a coat of arms and recognized as part of the local nobility. One notable figure from this era was Pedro Rugama, a military commander who served in the Spanish Armada and participated in the attempted invasion of England in 1588.

Moving into the 17th century, historical records show a scholar and linguist named María Rugama, who studied at the University of Salamanca and contributed to the development of the Spanish language through her writings on grammar and syntax. She was born in 1612 and died in 1687.

In the 19th century, the RUGAMA surname was carried across the Atlantic Ocean by Spanish immigrants to the Americas. One such individual was José Rugama, a prominent landowner and businessman who settled in Cuba in the 1820s and played a significant role in the island's sugar industry.

Throughout its history, the RUGAMA surname has maintained a strong presence in its ancestral regions of Galicia and Asturias, as well as in other parts of Spain and Latin America. While not a widely known name globally, it has left its mark on various aspects of Spanish and Latin American history, culture, and society.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Rugama

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

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

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

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