Virgen
A Spanish surname that likely began as a devotional name referring to the Virgin Mary.
The #8,470 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 79,206 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Virgen is the Spanish word for “virgin,” ultimately from Latin virgo, meaning “maiden” or “virgin.” As a surname, it is most plausibly a devotional or religious name taken from an association with the Virgin Mary rather than from a place or occupation. In Spanish naming practice, such religious surnames could arise from personal names, bynames, or devotion-centered house names.
History
The excerpts provided mention the Virgin Mary in a historical/religious context, which fits a devotional background for the surname, but they do not discuss the surname directly. Spanish surnames of this type are often found in areas shaped by strong Marian devotion and later spread through migration to the Americas. The modern US bearers are likely part of that broader Spanish-language surname tradition.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Because virgen is also a common Spanish word, this surname can look like a nickname but is usually understood in a religious or devotional sense when used as a family name.
From the historical record
“rias contábase como la más preciada una vesti- dura suya, que pasaba por habérsela traido la Virgen desde el cielo. El nombre , pues , de Il- defonso oscureció los de otros muy ilustres pre- lados, tales como Isidoro y Leandro, Braulio y Masona, y los reyes le tomaron por jnitrono, como el pue])lo á Hermenegildo.…”
— Ensayo histórico etimológico filológico sobre los apellidos castellanos