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

Correa, 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 Correa surname is from the 2000 census data.

Popularity of Correa in America

Correa is the 130443rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Correa surname appeared 120 times in the 2000 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Correa.

The history of the last name Correa

The surname Correla is believed to have originated in the Iberian Peninsula, specifically in Spain, during the medieval period. The areas most commonly associated with this name are in the northern regions such as Galicia and Castile. The name Correla appears to be derived from the Old Spanish words "corral" or "corrella," which themselves stem from the Latin "currale," meaning a fenced-in area or enclosure. These enclosures were commonly used in agrarian societies, which thus made the name quite prevalent among individuals involved in agriculture and livestock management.

Historical references to the name Correla can be found in various medieval manuscripts and documents. The name first appears in medieval Spain during the Reconquista period, a time of significant social and political change as Christian kingdoms sought to reclaim Iberian territories from Moorish rule. One of the earliest documented mentions of the surname is in a 13th-century land deed in Castile, where a noble family by the name of Correla was granted estates for their service in battle. Such early records indicate that the name was associated with land ownership and the rural nobility of that era.

One of the earliest known individuals bearing the surname was Diego de Correla, a minor noble and landowner in Galicia, mentioned in a document dated 1248. He was known for his contributions to local agricultural practices and was an influential figure in his community. Another notable figure was Maria Correla, a 14th-century abbess from a convent in Castile, renowned for her piety and charitable works, who lived between 1320 and 1384. Records detailing her efforts in expanding the convent’s influence and helping the local poor are still preserved in regional archives.

In the 15th century, during the tumultuous times of the Spanish Inquisition, a merchant named Alonso Correla, born in 1465 and died in 1523, was notable for his support of the conversos, Jews who had converted to Christianity to avoid persecution. His records in the municipal archives speak of his endeavors to protect these individuals from the excesses of the Inquisition.

By the 16th century, the name Correla had crossed the Atlantic with the Spanish and Portuguese explorations of the New World. Juan Correla, born in 1504, is recorded as one of the early settlers in what is now Mexico. His descendants continued the agricultural traditions of their Spanish forebears and played a part in the early development of colonial territories.

In the 17th century, another noteworthy figure was Father Fernando Correla, a Jesuit missionary born in 1602, who spent his life working among indigenous communities in South America until his death in 1670. His letters and reports remain a valuable source of information about the early interactions between European settlers and indigenous populations.

Throughout history, the surname Correla has been strongly associated with agricultural practices, religious devotion, and early colonial enterprise. Its evolution from a term for a rural enclosure to a surname highlights the socio-economic transitions in medieval and early modern Iberian society. As the world changed, bearers of this name played various roles in shaping the communities they were part of, leaving a legacy that can still be traced through historical records and documents.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Correa

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

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 2000 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Correa 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.

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

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

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