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

Arocha, 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 Arocha surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Arocha in America

Arocha is the 17014th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Arocha surname appeared 1,670 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 Arocha.

We can also compare 2010 data for Arocha 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 Arocha

The surname Arocha has its origins in Spain and dates back to the 12th century. It is believed to have originated from the Basque region of northern Spain, where the name was likely derived from a place name or a descriptive term for a particular location or geographic feature.

One theory suggests that the name Arocha may be a variation of the Spanish word "roca," meaning "rock" or "rocky area." It could have been used to identify someone who lived near a rocky outcrop or in a rugged, mountainous region. Alternatively, it may have originated from the Basque word "arrotza," which translates to "foreigner" or "outsider," potentially referring to someone who settled in a new area.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Arocha can be traced back to medieval documents and records from the Basque provinces of Spain. One notable example is Pedro de Arocha, a nobleman from the town of Bilbao who was mentioned in a land grant document dated 1324.

Another historical figure bearing the name Arocha was Juan de Arocha, a Spanish explorer who accompanied Hernán Cortés on his expedition to Mexico in the early 16th century. Juan de Arocha played a role in the conquest of the Aztec Empire and is mentioned in various accounts of the campaign.

In the 17th century, a man named Antonio de Arocha was a prominent landowner and cattle rancher in the Spanish colony of New Spain, which encompassed much of present-day Mexico and parts of the southwestern United States. He is recorded as having owned vast tracts of land in what is now the state of Durango, Mexico.

During the 18th century, a military officer named Alonso de Arocha served in the Spanish Army and participated in campaigns against the British during the American Revolutionary War. He is noted for his bravery and leadership in several battles fought in the territory that is now Florida.

Another notable figure with the surname Arocha was María Arocha de Manrique, a wealthy landowner and philanthropist from the Canary Islands in the 19th century. She was known for her charitable contributions and efforts to improve education and healthcare in the region.

These are just a few examples of the many individuals throughout history who have borne the surname Arocha, which has its roots in the Basque region of Spain and has been carried by explorers, landowners, military personnel, and notable figures over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Arocha

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

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

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

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