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

Tanega, 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 Tanega surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Tanega in America

Tanega is the 130610th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Tanega surname appeared 130 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 Tanega.

We can also compare 2010 data for Tanega 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 Tanega

The surname Tanega has its origins in the Iberian Peninsula, with roots tracing back to the late 15th century during the time of the Spanish Inquisition. It is believed to have derived from the Basque language, with the root word "tanegi" meaning "place of fire" or "place of light."

This surname first appeared in historical records from the northern regions of Spain and southern regions of France, where Basque communities resided. The earliest known recorded instance of this name is found in a 1492 census document from the town of Guernica in the Basque Country.

During the 16th century, the Tanega name spread throughout Spain and parts of Portugal, with some families fleeing religious persecution and seeking refuge in other parts of Europe. Notable historical figures bearing this surname include Juan de Tanega (1520-1589), a renowned Basque explorer who accompanied Hernán Cortés on his expedition to the Americas.

In the 17th century, the Tanega name appeared in several Dutch and German records, indicating the migration of families from the Iberian Peninsula to these regions. One prominent individual was Willem Tanega (1625-1698), a Dutch merchant and trader who established trade routes between the Netherlands and the Spanish colonies.

As the centuries progressed, the Tanega name continued to spread across Europe and beyond. Notable individuals include Francesca Tanega (1745-1812), an Italian painter and artist during the Neoclassical era, and Mikhail Tanega (1820-1895), a Russian military officer who fought in the Crimean War.

In the late 19th century, the Tanega surname made its way to the Americas, with several families settling in various parts of North and South America. One of the earliest recorded instances in the United States is that of José Tanega (1865-1932), a Spanish immigrant who settled in California and became a prominent figure in the state's wine industry.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Tanega

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

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

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

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