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

Rugamas, 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 Rugamas surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Rugamas in America

Rugamas is the 73464th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Rugamas surname appeared 264 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 Rugamas.

We can also compare 2010 data for Rugamas 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 Rugamas

The surname Rugamas originated in the Basque region of northern Spain and southern France, dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Basque words "ruga," meaning "wrinkle" or "fold," and "mas," meaning "more" or "greater." This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who lived near a rugged or wrinkled landscape.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Rugamas surname can be found in a medieval document from the town of Ustaritz, near the city of Bayonne, in the former province of Labourd, France. The document, dated 1237, mentions a landowner named Petri de Rugamas.

In the 14th century, a prominent Rugamas family was known to reside in the village of Sare, located in the historical region of Lower Navarre, which now straddles the border between France and Spain. Records from that time indicate that the family held significant land and property in the area.

During the 16th century, the Rugamas name appeared in several historical records in the Basque Country, including a mention of a Juan Rugamas, who was a respected merchant and businessman in the city of Bilbao, Spain, in the late 1500s.

Throughout the centuries, several notable individuals have carried the Rugamas surname. One of the earliest recorded was Miguel Rugamas, a Basque military leader who fought in the Navarrese Civil War in the early 15th century. Another notable figure was Catalina Rugamas, a Basque writer and poet who lived in the late 16th century and whose works were widely acclaimed in her time.

In the 18th century, a Rugamas family was well-established in the town of Irun, located on the border between Spain and France. One member of this family, Javier Rugamas, born in 1743, was a respected scholar and educator who founded a renowned school in the region.

Another individual of note was Martín Rugamas, a Basque explorer and navigator who participated in several expeditions to the Americas in the late 17th century. He is believed to have been among the first Europeans to set foot in parts of what is now California and Oregon.

As the Rugamas surname spread beyond the Basque region, it maintained its roots and connections to the area. Over the centuries, the name has been associated with numerous individuals of historical significance, reflecting the rich cultural heritage of the Basque people.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Rugamas

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

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

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

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