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

Abarca, 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 Abarca surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Abarca in America

Abarca is the 3780th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Abarca surname appeared 9,363 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Abarca.

We can also compare 2010 data for Abarca 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 Abarca

The surname Abarca is of Spanish origin, tracing its roots back to the Iberian Peninsula during the medieval period. It is derived from the Spanish word "abarca," which originally referred to a type of rustic sandal or shoe made from esparto grass or leather. This connection suggests that the name may have initially been an occupational surname, given to individuals involved in the production or selling of these traditional footwear items.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Abarca surname can be found in the Cartulario de San Cugat del Vallés, a medieval manuscript dating back to the 12th century. This document contains references to individuals bearing the name Abarca in the region of Catalonia, Spain.

In the 13th century, the surname Abarca gained prominence with the rise of the noble House of Abarca in the Kingdom of Aragon. This influential family held significant power and land holdings in the region, with their name being associated with various castles and territories. One notable figure from this lineage was Martín Abarca, who served as the Lord of Biel and Sisamón in the late 13th century.

Another historical reference to the Abarca surname can be found in the 14th-century work "El Victorial" by Gutierre Díaz de Games. This chronicle mentions a knight named Ruy Abarca, who fought alongside the Castilian forces during the Reconquista, the campaign to reclaim the Iberian Peninsula from Moorish rule.

During the 15th century, the Abarca surname gained further recognition with the birth of Pedro Abarca (1419-1485), a prominent Spanish theologian and philosopher. He served as the Bishop of Tarazona and played a significant role in the intellectual and religious spheres of his time.

Another notable figure bearing the Abarca surname was Juan de Abarca (1542-1604), a Spanish military commander and noble who served as the Governor of Galicia and the Viceroy of Sardinia. His contributions to the Spanish Empire during the 16th century were widely recognized.

As the Abarca surname spread across Spain and its territories, it also found its way to other parts of the world through Spanish exploration and colonization efforts. In the Americas, for instance, there are records of individuals bearing the Abarca surname in regions such as Mexico and Argentina, where they left their mark on the local histories and cultures.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Abarca

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

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

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

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