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

Vergara, 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 Vergara surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Vergara in America

Vergara is the 2332nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Vergara surname appeared 15,618 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 5 people would have the surname Vergara.

We can also compare 2010 data for Vergara 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 Vergara

The surname Vergara has its origins in Spain, dating back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Spanish word "vergara," which means "willow grove" or "willow plantation." The name is likely associated with a person who lived near or owned a willow grove or plantation.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Vergara can be traced back to the 12th century in the regions of Castile and Aragon, where it was commonly found in historical records and manuscripts. Some of the earliest known individuals with this surname include Gonzalo de Vergara, a Castilian nobleman born in 1220, and Martín de Vergara, a renowned scholar and theologian from Aragon, born in 1492.

During the 15th and 16th centuries, the Vergara surname became more widespread throughout Spain, particularly in the regions of Andalusia and Basque Country. One notable figure from this period was Juan de Vergara (1492-1557), a humanist scholar and one of the first translators of the Bible into Spanish.

As Spain expanded its territories through exploration and colonization, the Vergara surname spread to various parts of the Americas, including Mexico, Colombia, and Argentina. In Mexico, for instance, the Vergara family has a long and distinguished history, with several prominent members holding influential positions in politics, academia, and the arts.

One of the most famous individuals with the Vergara surname is Sofía Vergara, the Colombian-American actress and model born in 1972. Other notable figures throughout history include Juan Bautista Vergara (1770-1846), a Chilean politician and independence leader; Pedro Vergara Villanueva (1892-1977), a Mexican painter and muralist; and Gabriela Vergara (born 1978), a Chilean journalist and author.

In addition to Spain and Latin America, the Vergara surname has also been found in other parts of the world, likely due to migration and intermarriage. However, its roots can be traced back to the Iberian Peninsula, where it originated as a reference to willow groves or plantations.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Vergara

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

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

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

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