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

Sango, 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 Sango surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Sango in America

Sango is the 82908th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Sango surname appeared 227 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 Sango.

We can also compare 2010 data for Sango 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 Sango

The surname SANGO is believed to have originated in West Africa, specifically in the regions that are now modern-day Nigeria and Benin. The name can be traced back to the 16th century and is thought to be derived from the Yoruba language, where it means "the way of the forest."

One of the earliest recorded references to the name SANGO can be found in a document from the Kingdom of Oyo, which was a powerful Yoruba empire in present-day southwestern Nigeria. This document, dated around 1550, mentions a man named Sango who was a renowned warrior and a high-ranking member of the royal court.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, as the transatlantic slave trade intensified, many Africans with the surname SANGO were forcibly brought to the Americas, particularly to Brazil and the Caribbean islands. Records from this period show the name appearing in various slave registers and plantation records.

One notable individual with the surname SANGO was Joao Sango (1792-1867), a Brazilian abolitionist and activist who fought against slavery and advocated for the rights of Afro-Brazilians. He was born into slavery but eventually gained his freedom and became a prominent figure in the anti-slavery movement in Brazil.

In the 19th century, the name SANGO also appeared in various parts of West Africa, including present-day Ghana and Togo. One of the most famous bearers of this name was Nana Sango (1820-1887), a powerful Akan chief who ruled over the Akuapem state in what is now eastern Ghana.

Another notable individual with the surname SANGO was Olaudah Equiano (c. 1745-1797), a former slave who became a prominent figure in the British abolitionist movement. Although his birth name is unknown, he adopted the surname SANGO later in life, likely in reference to his Yoruba heritage.

As the African diaspora spread across the globe, the surname SANGO has been carried to various parts of the world, including Europe, North America, and the Caribbean. However, its roots can be traced back to the rich cultural heritage of West Africa and the resilience of those who bore this name throughout history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Sango

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

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

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

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