Explore the Family Name Congo
The meaning of Congo
1. Probably an altered form of Conger, a surname of English origin. It is found mainly in AL. 2. African American and African (Angola): ethnic name from Congo, an Anglicized (or Spanish) form of Kongo, the name of the Bantu people living in Congo and Angola. Kongo was also the name of a precolonial kingdom on the south side of the Congo River. As an African American surname it is most common in DE. 3. African (Burkina Faso): unexplained. History: This name is found in Dutch records of New Netherland as a surname of African slaves: Simon and Manuel Congo.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Congo in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Congo saw a decrease in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, the surname ranked 46,758 in popularity with a count of 428 individuals bearing the name, equivalent to a proportion of 0.16 per 100k people. By 2010, the rank had dropped to 54,864, representing a change of -17.34%. The count also decreased to 375, showing a drop of -12.38%, while the proportion per 100k people fell to 0.13, marking an -18.75% shift.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #46,758 | #54,864 | -17.34% |
| Count | 428 | 375 | -12.38% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.16 | 0.13 | -18.75% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Congo
Regarding the ethnic identity associated with the surname Congo, data from the Decennial U.S. Census indicates some changes between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, the majority of bearers of the Congo name identified as White (55.84%) or Black (39.72%), with a small percentage identifying as either Hispanic (1.40%) or Two or More Races (1.64%). However, by 2010, there was a slight increase in those identifying as Black (41.87%) and a decrease in those identifying as White (54.13%). The data for those identifying with Two or More Races also dropped to 1.33%. There were no individuals with the surname Congo who identified as either Asian/Pacific Islander or American Indian and Alaskan Native in either year examined.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 55.84% | 54.13% | -3.06% |
| Black | 39.72% | 41.87% | 5.41% |
| Two or More Races | 1.64% | 1.33% | -18.9% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Hispanic | 1.4% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |