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

Waga, 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 Waga surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Waga in America

Waga is the 121590th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Waga surname appeared 142 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 Waga.

We can also compare 2010 data for Waga 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 Waga

The surname Waga has its origins in the Silesian region of Poland, with records dating back to the late 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the old Slavic word "waga," which translates to "weight" or "scales," likely referring to an occupation such as a merchant or weighman.

One of the earliest known references to the Waga name can be found in the parish records of the village of Tarnowskie Góry, located in the Silesian Voivodeship, Poland, from the year 1587. These records mention a certain Jan Waga, a local tradesman.

Over the centuries, the Waga surname spread to other parts of Poland, and variations in spelling emerged, such as Wago, Wagau, and Wagau. In the 17th century, the name appeared in the town of Wieliczka, near Krakow, where a prominent salt mine was located, suggesting that some Waga families may have been involved in the salt trade.

Notable individuals bearing the Waga surname include Jan Waga (1588-1657), a Polish theologian and Jesuit priest who served as a professor at the Jagiellonian University in Krakow. Another notable figure was Tomasz Waga (1680-1745), a Polish nobleman and landowner who served as a judge in the Lublin region.

In the 19th century, the Waga surname gained recognition with the birth of Henryk Waga (1844-1912), a Polish engineer and inventor who made significant contributions to the development of early steam engines and locomotives. His son, Wacław Waga (1876-1957), followed in his footsteps and became a renowned electrical engineer, working on the electrification of Poland's railways.

Another prominent individual was Władysław Waga (1908-1988), a Polish military officer and resistance fighter during World War II, who played a crucial role in the Warsaw Uprising against the German occupation.

While the Waga surname originated in Poland, it has since spread to other parts of the world through immigration, with descendants living in countries like the United States, Canada, and Australia. However, the majority of individuals carrying this surname can still be found in Poland and other Central European nations with Slavic populations.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Waga

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

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

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

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