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

Vanega, 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 Vanega surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Vanega in America

Vanega is the 156044th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Vanega surname appeared 104 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 Vanega.

The history of the last name Vanega

The surname Vanega has its origins in the Iberian Peninsula, particularly in the regions of northern Spain and Portugal. It is believed to have emerged during the Middle Ages, between the 11th and 13th centuries.

Vanega is derived from the Germanic word "wang," which means "meadow" or "grassland." This suggests that the name may have been initially given to someone who lived near or worked on a meadow. Over time, the word underwent various linguistic transformations, resulting in the current spelling of Vanega.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Vanega can be found in the Codex Calixtinus, a 12th-century manuscript that documented the journey of pilgrims along the Camino de Santiago. This document mentions a certain Rodrigo Vanega, who was a local landowner near the town of Sarria in the province of Lugo, Spain.

During the 14th century, the name Vanega appeared in several official records, such as the Libro Becerro de Behetrías (Book of Behetrías), which was a register of landholdings and taxes in the Kingdom of Castile. One notable entry mentions a Pedro Vanega, a nobleman from the region of León.

In the 15th century, a prominent figure bearing the surname Vanega was Juana Vanega, a noblewoman from the town of Villafranca del Bierzo, in the province of León. She was known for her involvement in various charitable endeavors and her support of local religious institutions.

The 16th century saw the rise of a notable family with the surname Vanega in the city of Valladolid, Spain. Among its members was Juan Vanega, a renowned lawyer and judge who served as a magistrate in the Royal Chancery of Valladolid during the reign of King Philip II.

In the 17th century, the name Vanega gained prominence in Portugal, with the birth of Pedro Vanega, a celebrated poet and playwright from the city of Porto. His works, which included plays and sonnets, were widely acclaimed and contributed to the cultural renaissance of the time.

As the surname Vanega spread across the Iberian Peninsula and beyond, it underwent various spelling variations, such as Vanegas, Vanegha, and Vanhega. These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and linguistic adaptations.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Vanega

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

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 Vanega 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.

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

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

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