The Lugo Family name begins in my ancestry with my great-grandmother on my Vélez father’s side of the family. Her name was Juana Maria Cancel y Lugo de Vélez and she was born in 1891 and died in 1950. Juana Maria was married to my great-grandfather, Antonio Vélez y Mercado. The Vélez side of my family goes way back in Barrio Cotuí, San German, Puerto Rico with the Lugo line currently tracing its verifiable history back to about 1775.
Until recently, the last Lugo on my family tree was my great-great grandmother, Maria de las Nieves Lugo y Rodriguez de Cancel, who was born around 1864 and died in 1927. While conducting family research on FamilySearch.org, I was amazed to find information on my second great-grandmother’s parents. This incredible find led me to four more generations of Lugos all based in San German, Puerto Rico.
Lugo is a very popular name in Mexico, Venezuela, Colombia, and Puerto Rico. According to the Dictionary of American Family Names by Oxford University Press, the Lugo name is based on the city of Lugo in Galicia, Spain. Lugo was a Roman settlement under the name of Lucus Augusti, ‘grove or wood of Augustus’, but that may have been no more than an adaptation of an earlier name derived from that of the Celtic god Lugos. The surname “Lugo,” originally “Lucus” comes from the Latin “Lucius” which means light.
My 6th great-grandfather is Bartolomé Lugo y Rivera who was born around 1775-1780. He had a daughter named Maria Petrona Lugo y Montalvo, my 5th great-grandmother who was born around 1798. Maria then had a son named Manuel Encarnacion Lugo y Lugo, my 4th great-grandfather who was born around 1816. Manuel then had a son name Ramon Agapito Lugo y Morales, my 3rd great-grandfather who was born about 1845. Ramon, who was known most of his life as Agapito, is my great-great grandma Maria Nieves Lugo’s father.
Family Search has other suggested Lugo Family members predating 1775, however most of the info online is solely from member family trees and unverifiable by actual records. For my research, I made certain that the names listed above were mentioned in the birth and death records of my Lugo Family members of San German.
As of today, 1775 is as far back as I have gotten on any family line I have been researching. It’s incredible to me that I can trace my family in Cotuí, San German, Puerto Rico to around the founding of the United States of America. I’m having a wonderful time studying genealogy, shedding light on my ancestors, and sharing them with my family and the rest of the world.
Puerto RiKin 
Hi! My Dad was German A Lugo,also from San German.
He had 2 sisters and he was the only son.
He was born in 1917.
He was a composer and I am his only recognized child.
I know he had other children out of wedlock,but unfortunately I have never been able to find them.
My Dad passed away when I was 9.
I am now 63.
I would love to find other family members.
Thank you and be well.
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Hello there, Elisa. Sorry for my delayed response. Are you on Family Search.org? I would love to assist you in finding living relatives. Do you know the name of your grandparents? I hope all is well with you.
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Hi, My dad was born in Sabana Grande but was raised in San German. My dad now deceased, Ramón Lugo used to talk to me as a child about how he was raised there and that our family all comes from this area, I was raised in the Bronx so unfortunately met very few family member.I am now 65,my name is Evelyn Lugo
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Thank your research and for sharing this information. I am still trying to find a connection, Lugo Galicia and the someone with the family name.
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Hello Gil. I apologize for the delay in responding to you. I have not made any connections yet to Galicia but I hope to one day. Good luck with your search and thanks for your comment.
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Hi! I saw that you viewed the Lugo family tree and I feel like I’ve heard your name before when talking about Lugo genealogy. I’m starting my own research on the Lugo bloodline mostly to learn about myself. I am especially interested in the Spanish Captain Pedro de Lugo Mexia, Guillermo de Lugo, (I think there is one more Guillermo in here?) and Don Andres de Lugo, about what their lives were like, what their interests were. I realize this may be quite a stretch to find out much more about them but I figured I’d reach out and see if you found anything? Please feel free to email me! Thanks Phil
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Thank you for your post. I was only able to officially connect my ancestry to Leon Lugo who was born around 1723. Any Lugo going further would be speculative. I know of the name Pedro Lugo Mexia and Andres Lugo but not much of Guillermo. Unfortunately, I cannot provide any additional info on their lives aside from what is available on Geni.com. Good luck with your research and thanks again for your comment.
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Contact me if you are still interested. All Lugo’s you mentioned above are my great grandfathers. I have extensive documentation dating back over 500 years. Also, if any of those people you mentioned are related to you, we are cousins and you are also likely a descendant of not only Christopher Columbus but of several high ranking military men and other’s of nobility.
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Thank you for your comment and the information.
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Hi Daniel! Yes, that’s what my aunt has told me. I’m very interested in learning more about it. She sent me some info but there wasn’t much about current family, just distant family that I mentioned. I’d love to connect via email: ryannrlugo@gmail.com
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Hi-thank you for sharing this info! I have only gotten to my great-great grandfather Roman Lugo y Pagan (1852-1904) and great-great grandmother Claudina Pagan de Lugo (1855-1904). I know the family left Puerto Rico at some point because my grandfather was born in San Luis, Matanzas, Cuba in 1926. Question: I want to take my grown sons with me to visit San German. Have you been there? What is it like?
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Hello Meredith. Thank you for your comment. I have been to San German just once. It is a wonderful place. It used to be the capital of the western side of the island. It has one of the oldest churches in the Western Hemisphere. The main town is worth seeing. Definitely visit and enjoy!
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Hi i am also researching my family tree. My 5th great grandmother is Theresa Lugo born in about 1787 in manati puerto rico. Her husband was Rufino La O born in about 1785 in puerto rico. That has been as far as i have been able to trace anything. Any ideas of how i can search any records?
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Hello Ana. Wow, that is pretty far back and awesome. The only recommendation I have is to search church records in Manati. Some may be available via Family Search or you can contact the local church directly for more info. Good luck!
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thank you! Ill look into those records.
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I was born in the Dominican Republic, but my grandfather was from Sar German and Sabana Grande. I grew up in San Juan, PR. My grandfather was Aurelio Neri Lugo Lugo, he was born in Sabana Grande, circa 1896. His father was Aurelio Maria Lugo, su madre Dolores del Rosario Lugo. Their maternal last name (segundo apellido), Nazario, Irrizary. I love my last name; LUGO .
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Hello Felipe, thank you for your comment and the information you have shared. Lugo is a pretty cool name.
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My grandmothers name is Emilia Lugo Morales, she was born in 1905, and passed away in 1995. She was born in el Barrio de Candelaria, Lajas (San German). Her fathers name was Juan Trinidad Lugo Espinosa, and her grandfathers name was Hipolito Lugo Ortiz, and his father was Juan Jose Lugo Lopez. By the way, many of these family members lived in el barrio Cotui.
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Agapito was Zenon (sometimes Xenon) Lugo’s dad. Zenon was my paternal grandmother’s first husband. I am not related, I come down from her second husband. However, my oldest half-uncle is Zenon’s son, Agapito’s grandkid, he is still kicking in Cotui at almost 100, which makes us nothing but it’s a great story.
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Thanks for sharing this information. It is a great story!
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