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

Balcorta, 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 Balcorta surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Balcorta in America

Balcorta is the 93513th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Balcorta surname appeared 196 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Balcorta.

We can also compare 2010 data for Balcorta 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 Balcorta

The surname Balcorta originates from the Basque region of northern Spain and southwestern France, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Basque words "bal" meaning "valley" and "korta" meaning "small farm or enclosure," suggesting it was initially a descriptive term for a small farmstead situated within a valley.

The earliest recorded instances of the name date back to the 13th century, appearing in various documents and records from the region. One notable example is found in the "Cartulario de San Millán de la Cogolla," a medieval manuscript dating from the year 1235, which mentions a certain "Sancho Balcorta" as a landowner in the area.

During the 15th century, the name Balcorta gained prominence when a family bearing this surname established themselves as influential landowners and members of the local nobility in the Basque provinces of Álava and Vizcaya. Records from this period, such as the "Becerro de las Behetrías de Castilla," mention several individuals bearing the Balcorta name, including Juan Balcorta, who was born in 1428 and served as a councilman in the town of Vitoria.

In the 16th century, the Balcorta family expanded their influence, with members holding prominent positions in the local government and military. One notable figure was Lope de Balcorta, born in 1512, who served as a captain in the Spanish army and participated in the conquest of the Philippines.

Throughout the 17th and 18th centuries, the Balcorta name continued to be associated with the Basque nobility, with various family members holding titles and estates in the region. One such individual was Martín de Balcorta y Uriarte, born in 1671, who was a renowned scholar and author of several works on Basque history and culture.

As the Balcorta family spread throughout Spain and beyond, the name underwent various spelling variations, such as Balcorto, Balcorta, and Balcortu. These variations can be found in historical records and documents from different regions of Spain and Spanish colonies in the Americas.

Other notable individuals bearing the Balcorta surname include:

1. Ignacio Balcorta (1805-1879), a Mexican politician and military officer who served as the governor of the state of Jalisco.
2. Mariano Balcorta (1819-1892), a Chilean lawyer and politician who served as the Minister of Justice and Public Instruction.
3. José María Balcorta (1855-1928), a Spanish painter and artist known for his landscapes and portraits.
4. María Balcorta (1871-1949), a Spanish educator and women's rights activist who founded several schools for girls in the Basque region.

Overall, the surname Balcorta has a rich history deeply rooted in the Basque culture and traditions, tracing its origins back to the medieval period and the descriptive term for a small farmstead located within a valley.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Balcorta

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

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

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

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