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

Arechiga, 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 Arechiga surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Arechiga in America

Arechiga is the 9794th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Arechiga surname appeared 3,306 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Arechiga.

We can also compare 2010 data for Arechiga 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 Arechiga

The surname Arechiga has its origins in the Spanish language and is believed to have originated in Mexico. It is derived from the word "arecha," which means "small farm" or "cultivated plot of land." This suggests that the name may have been borne by individuals who were farmers or landowners in the early days of Spanish colonization in Mexico.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Arechiga can be found in the baptismal records of the parish church of San Sebastián in Mexico City, where a child named Juan Arechiga was baptized in 1603. This provides evidence that the name was already in use in the early 17th century.

During the colonial era in Mexico, the Arechiga family was known to have settled in the state of Guanajuato, particularly in the town of San Miguel de Allende. Records show that a man named Tomás Arechiga, born in 1678, was a prominent landowner and cattle rancher in the region.

In the 19th century, a notable figure bearing the Arechiga surname was José Arechiga (1804-1879), a Mexican lawyer and politician who served as a senator and governor of the state of Zacatecas. He played a significant role in the Reform War, supporting the liberal policies of Benito Juárez.

Another individual of historical importance was Arturo Arechiga (1880-1956), a Mexican diplomat and politician who served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs during the presidency of Lázaro Cárdenas. He was instrumental in the nationalization of the oil industry in Mexico in 1938.

In the artistic realm, the name Arechiga is associated with Enrique Arechiga (1918-1996), a Mexican painter and sculptor known for his abstract and surrealist works. His art was exhibited in numerous galleries and museums across Mexico and internationally.

The surname Arechiga has also been carried by notable academics, such as Germán Arechiga (1927-2012), a renowned Mexican physicist and astronomer who made significant contributions to the study of general relativity and black holes.

While the surname Arechiga is primarily concentrated in Mexico, it has also spread to other parts of the Americas due to migration patterns. However, its origins can be traced back to the early days of Spanish colonization in Mexico, where it was likely borne by individuals involved in agriculture and land ownership.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Arechiga

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

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

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

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