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

Tanguma, 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 Tanguma surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Tanguma in America

Tanguma is the 21895th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Tanguma surname appeared 1,186 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 Tanguma.

We can also compare 2010 data for Tanguma 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 Tanguma

The surname Tanguma originates from the Yoruba people of southwestern Nigeria and is believed to have emerged during the 16th century. It is derived from the Yoruba words "tan" meaning "to spread" and "guma" meaning "prosperity," suggesting a meaning of "spreading prosperity" or "extending wealth."

The earliest known references to the name Tanguma can be traced back to historical records from the Oyo Empire, a prominent Yoruba kingdom that flourished between the 16th and 19th centuries. Some of the earliest documented individuals bearing this surname include Akin Tanguma, a renowned warrior who fought in the Oyo-Nupe Wars during the late 17th century, and Oludara Tanguma, a respected trader who established trade routes across West Africa in the early 18th century.

In the 19th century, the Tanguma surname gained recognition through the exploits of Adekunle Tanguma, a skilled diplomat who facilitated peace negotiations between the Oyo Empire and neighboring kingdoms. His son, Adewale Tanguma (1832-1912), followed in his footsteps and became a respected elder and advisor in the Oyo court.

As the Yoruba people migrated and settled in different parts of West Africa, the Tanguma surname spread to neighboring regions. In the late 19th century, Olufemi Tanguma (1860-1932), a renowned scholar and educator, established one of the first schools in present-day Benin Republic, where he taught the Yoruba language and culture to generations of students.

Another notable figure was Adeyinka Tanguma (1905-1978), a pioneering businessman who established successful trading enterprises in Lagos, Nigeria, during the mid-20th century. His entrepreneurial spirit and business acumen contributed significantly to the economic growth of the region.

While the Tanguma surname is most prevalent in Nigeria, Benin, and other parts of West Africa, it has also been carried by individuals of Yoruba descent in other parts of the world, including the Caribbean, Brazil, and North America, as a result of the transatlantic slave trade and subsequent migrations.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Tanguma

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

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

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

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