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

Vigo, 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 Vigo surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Vigo in America

Vigo is the 21009th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Vigo surname appeared 1,252 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 Vigo.

We can also compare 2010 data for Vigo 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 Vigo

The surname Vigo is believed to have originated in Spain, where it first emerged in the medieval period. The name is thought to be derived from the Latin word "vicus," meaning a small village or settlement. This suggests that the name may have been initially given to someone who hailed from a particular village or town.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Becerro de Behetrías, a medieval document from the 14th century that lists landowners and their properties in the Kingdom of Castile. The name Vigo appears multiple times in this record, indicating its presence in the region at that time.

The city of Vigo, located in the Galicia region of northwestern Spain, is believed to have played a role in the popularization of the surname. The city's name is thought to come from the Latin word "vicus," and it's possible that some individuals who lived in or near the city adopted Vigo as their surname.

In the 16th century, the name Vigo appeared in the Relaciones Topográficas de Felipe II, a survey of towns and villages in Spain commissioned by King Philip II. This further solidifies the name's presence in various parts of the country during that era.

One notable individual with the surname Vigo was Pedro Vigo, a Spanish explorer and navigator who accompanied Christopher Columbus on his second voyage to the Americas in 1493. Vigo played a crucial role in the exploration and mapping of the Caribbean islands.

Another historical figure with the surname Vigo was Juan Vigo, a Spanish soldier and explorer who participated in the conquest of Mexico alongside Hernán Cortés in the early 16th century. Vigo was present during the fall of the Aztec Empire and is mentioned in several accounts of the conquest.

In the 17th century, Francisco Vigo, a Spanish painter and engraver, gained recognition for his religious artworks and portraits. He was active in Madrid and is considered one of the most prominent Spanish artists of his time.

Moving into the 18th century, Antonio Vigo was a Spanish naval officer and maritime explorer who led several expeditions to the Pacific Ocean and the Northwest Coast of North America. His voyages contributed to the mapping and exploration of these regions.

In the 19th century, Manuel Vigo was a Spanish politician and diplomat who served as the Minister of State (equivalent to the Prime Minister) of Spain from 1836 to 1837. He played a significant role in the political landscape of Spain during that period.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Vigo

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

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

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

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