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

Virgen, 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 Virgen surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Virgen in America

Virgen is the 8470th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Virgen surname appeared 3,898 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 Virgen.

We can also compare 2010 data for Virgen 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 Virgen

The surname Virgen originated in Spain, likely in the late Middle Ages or early Renaissance period, around the 15th or 16th century. It is derived from the Spanish word "virgen," meaning "virgin," which in turn comes from the Latin word "virgo," also meaning "virgin" or "maiden."

The name Virgen may have been given to individuals who lived near churches or monasteries dedicated to the Virgin Mary, or it could have been a descriptive surname given to someone known for their purity or chastity. It's also possible that the name was initially a nickname or a reference to someone's occupation, such as a nun or a member of a religious order.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Virgen can be found in the records of the Spanish Inquisition, where a certain Juan Virgen was mentioned in 1492. This suggests that the name was already in use by the late 15th century.

In the 16th century, a notable figure named Jerónimo Virgen (born around 1520) was a Spanish conquistador and explorer who participated in the conquest of Peru alongside Francisco Pizarro. He was also one of the founders of the city of Trujillo in present-day Peru.

Another individual with the surname Virgen was Francisco Virgen (1609-1668), a Spanish Franciscan friar who served as a missionary in New Spain (present-day Mexico) and is known for his efforts in evangelizing and educating the indigenous population.

In the 18th century, a prominent figure named Juan Virgen y Ochoa (1719-1783) was a Spanish military officer and governor of the province of Sonora in New Spain (now part of Mexico).

Moving to the 19th century, a notable bearer of the Virgen surname was José María Virgen y Baca (1807-1878), a Mexican politician and military officer who served as governor of the state of Coahuila.

While the surname Virgen is more commonly found in Spain and Latin American countries with Spanish heritage, it has also spread to other parts of the world through immigration and migration.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Virgen

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

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

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

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