2000
#141,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Virgona
An Italian surname potentially related to the Latin word for "virgin" or "maiden".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 127 Americans carry the last name Virgona. That puts it at #148,665 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,698,853 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Virgona surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
127
1 in 2,698,853
Census rank
#148,665
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
111
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 111 bearers of the surname Virgona in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 148665th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Virgona, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Virgona
The surname Virgona is of Italian origin, originating from the region of Sicily. The name is believed to have derived from the Latin word "virgo," meaning virgin or maiden. It is likely that the name was initially used as a descriptive nickname or a locational surname, referring to someone who lived near a place associated with the Virgin Mary or a locality named Virgona.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Virgona surname can be found in the archives of the town of Monreale, near Palermo, Sicily, dating back to the late 15th century. The records mention a certain Giovanni Virgona, who was a landowner and a prominent figure in the local community.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Virgona family appears to have been well-established in the area around Palermo and nearby towns. Several members of the family were involved in various professions, including law, trade, and the clergy. One notable individual was Antonino Virgona, a lawyer who lived in the late 16th century and was known for his expertise in civil and canon law.
In the 18th century, the Virgona name spread to other parts of Sicily and Italy, as members of the family migrated for various reasons. One notable figure from this era was Giuseppe Virgona, a Catholic priest and theologian born in Palermo in 1745. He authored several works on religious subjects and was highly regarded for his scholarship.
As the Virgona family expanded and dispersed throughout Italy and beyond, the spelling of the name may have undergone slight variations, such as Virgone or Virguni, depending on local dialects and linguistic influences.
In the 19th century, the Virgona surname can be found in historical records from various parts of Italy, including Naples, Rome, and northern regions. One notable individual was Francesco Virgona, a painter born in Messina in 1821, who was known for his landscapes and religious works.
Another prominent figure was Vincenzo Virgona, a politician and lawyer from Palermo, born in 1845. He was actively involved in the political movements of the Risorgimento, the struggle for Italian unification, and served as a member of the Italian Parliament in the late 19th century.
These are just a few examples of individuals who bore the Virgona surname throughout history, highlighting its rich heritage and connections to various regions of Italy, particularly Sicily.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Virgona
Among Census respondents with the surname Virgona, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Virgona bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Virgona surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.2% · 99
- Hispanic or Latino4.5% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.7% · 3
- Black or African American1.8% · 2
- Two or more races1.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Virgona
Virgona appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#141,140
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
+10 bearers (+9.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 648 places
2020
#148,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
-7 bearers (-5.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 7,525 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #141,788 | 108 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #141,140 | 118 | 0.04 | +10 bearers (+9.3%) | Up 648 places |
| 2020 | #148,665 | 111 | 0.04 | -7 bearers (-5.9%) | Down 7,525 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Virgona surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #141,140 | #148,665 | -5.3% |
| Count | 118 | 111 | -5.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Virgona bearers went from 118 to 111 (-5.9% change). The surname moved down 7,525 positions in the national ranking, going from #141,140 to #148,665.
FAQ
Virgona surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Virgona?
Name Census estimates that about 127 living Americans carry the surname Virgona. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,698,853 residents.
How common is Virgona?
Virgona ranks #148,665 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 111 people with the surname Virgona. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (127), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Virgona.
Has Virgona become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Virgona went from 118 recorded bearers to 111. That is a decrease of 7 (-5.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #141,140 to #148,665.
What does the Census say about the background of Virgona?
Among Census respondents with the surname Virgona, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.7%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Virgona in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.2% (99 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Virgona appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.2%), Hispanic (4.5%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.7%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Virgona (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Virgona mean?
An Italian surname potentially related to the Latin word for "virgin" or "maiden". The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Virgona (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the surname Virgona?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.