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

Vegas, 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 Vegas surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Vegas in America

Vegas is the 15579th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Vegas surname appeared 1,877 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Vegas.

We can also compare 2010 data for Vegas 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 Vegas

The surname Vegas has its origins in Spain, with records indicating it was first used in the 15th century. The name is believed to be derived from the Spanish word "vega," which means a fertile plain or meadow. It is thought to have originated as a descriptive name for people who lived in or near such areas.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Vegas surname can be found in the 16th century Catalan Atlas, which was a detailed map of the world created by cartographer Abraham Cresques. In this atlas, the name "Vegas" is listed as a place name for a region in the southern part of Spain.

The Vegas surname has been present in various historical records throughout the centuries. In the 17th century, there are records of a Diego de Vegas who was a Spanish explorer and navigator. He was born in 1592 and is known for his expeditions to the Pacific Ocean and his contributions to the mapping of the coastlines of California and Mexico.

In the 18th century, the name Vegas appears in the records of the Spanish Inquisition. Juan de Vegas, born in 1712, was a Catholic priest who faced persecution from the Inquisition for his alleged involvement in heretical activities.

During the 19th century, the surname Vegas gained prominence with the birth of Ventura Vegas (1810-1892), a renowned Spanish painter known for his landscape and genre paintings. His works are displayed in various museums across Spain and are considered important examples of the Romantic movement in Spanish art.

Another notable figure with the Vegas surname was Dolores Vegas (1870-1958), a Spanish novelist and playwright. She was born in Madrid and is credited with being one of the first female writers in Spain to address social and political issues through her literary works.

In more recent times, the surname Vegas has been associated with the famous city of Las Vegas, Nevada. However, it is important to note that the city's name was derived from the Spanish word "vegas," meaning fertile plains or meadows, and not directly from the surname itself.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Vegas

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

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

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

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