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

Zugay, 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 Zugay surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Zugay in America

Zugay is the 98553rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Zugay surname appeared 184 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 Zugay.

We can also compare 2010 data for Zugay 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 Zugay

The surname Zugay is believed to have emerged in Eastern Europe, most likely from Hungary or its surrounding regions, during the medieval period. The name's etymology suggests Hungarian roots with potential influences from neighboring Slavic languages. The word "zug" in Hungarian translates to "corner" or "nook," which might have geographical connotations, indicating a family's origin from a particular area or a specific type of terrain.

Historical records from the 15th and 16th centuries indicate the presence of families with similar surnames in the Kingdom of Hungary. Various spellings have surfaced over time, including Zuga, Zugaj, and Zugai, signifying the natural evolution of language and regional dialects.

In the 1530s, a man named Miklos Zugai was documented in a registry in Budapest. This could be one of the earliest instances of the surname’s recorded use. Another early figure is István Zugaj, born in 1572, who was a noted craftsman in what is now Slovakia. His work and social status provided some prestige to the surname in the local communities of that era.

Records from the 17th century show a Mihály Zugay, who was involved in regional politics in Transylvania. Born in 1602 and passing in 1667, his contributions to local governance made the Zugay name significant in historical documents. Similarly, in the 18th century, a Jakab Zugai, born in 1724 and remembered for his medical practice in Budapest, brought additional recognition to the surname.

The name continued to spread and evolve into the 19th century, with people like Erzsébet Zugay, an educator born in 1805, playing a crucial role in the Hungarian education reforms. Her dedication to teaching and women's education was well-documented in various regional manuscripts.

Béla Zugay, born in 1849, was a prominent figure in Hungarian journalism and politics. His works and public engagements drew considerable attention and were frequently cited in national newspapers, leaving an indelible mark on the cultural history of Hungary.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Zugay

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

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

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

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