Mingo
A surname that often comes from the medieval Spanish pet form of Domingo, meaning “belonging to Dominic/Sunday.”
The #6,866 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 63,022 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Mingo is generally understood as a Spanish short form or pet name of Domingo, itself from Latin Dominicus, meaning “of the Lord” or “belonging to the Lord.” In medieval Spanish, Mingo was used as a familiar given name, and surnames like Mingo could arise from that personal name. The deeper root is the Christian name Dominic, ultimately tied to the Latin word dominus, “lord.”
History
The form appears in older Spanish records and literature as a familiar personal name, and later became hereditary as a surname. It is also seen in Spanish-speaking family lines as part of compound surnames or nicknames, such as Mingo Ruiz in historical documents. In English-language surname lists, it is relatively uncommon and may also reflect immigration from Spanish-speaking regions.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
In older Spanish usage, Mingo could function almost like a nickname for Domingo, much as “Mike” can stand for “Michael.”
From the historical record
“HAN, MiLAR, MiLER, MiLLAY, MiLLARD and MlLLERD, MiLLIGAN, MiLLIN, MiLLIS, MiLMOA, MiLO, MiLROY, MiNASIAN, MiNCH, MiNEL, MiNGAY, MiNGO, MiNNEHAN, Minns, Minon, Minot, Mirick, Mischler, Misener, Mitchell, Mizell, Mizner, Mockler, Moeglin, Moel- ler ; Moffat, Moffatt, Moffett, Moffette, and Moffitt; Mohan, Mohr…”
— Suffolk Surnames (3rd ed.)