2010
#137,327
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Elorreaga
A Basque surname derived from place names indicating origin from a valley or coastal region.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 127 Americans carry the last name Elorreaga. That puts it at #148,665 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,698,853 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Elorreaga surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
127
1 in 2,698,853
Census rank
#148,665
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
111
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 111 bearers of the surname Elorreaga in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 148665th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Elorreaga, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 83.8%. The next largest groups are White (13.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Elorreaga
The surname ELORREAGA originates from the Basque Country, a region straddling the border between Spain and France. It is thought to have emerged in the late medieval period, around the 13th or 14th century.
ELORREAGA is a locative surname, derived from a place name. It is believed to be a compound of the Basque words "elhorri," meaning "oak tree," and "aga," meaning "place" or "area." This suggests the name may have originated from a specific location known for its oak trees or oak groves.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname appears in the 1457 census of the town of Hernani, in the Spanish province of Gipuzkoa. The name is listed as "Elhorriaga," an earlier spelling variation.
Another early reference can be found in the 1512 records of the town of Bidania, also in Gipuzkoa, where the name is spelled "Elorriaga." This spelling variation highlights the fluid nature of surnames during that era, as they often adapted to local dialects and pronunciations.
Notable individuals with the surname ELORREAGA include Juan Elorreaga (1550-1624), a Basque merchant and ship owner who played a significant role in the trade between Spain and the Americas. Another prominent figure was Catalina Elorreaga (1675-1741), a landowner and benefactor who donated funds for the construction of a church in the town of Eibar.
In the 19th century, Ignacio Elorreaga (1812-1887) was a renowned Basque sculptor who contributed to the restoration of several churches in the region. His works can still be admired in various religious buildings across the Basque Country.
Towards the latter part of the 19th century, Josefa Elorreaga (1845-1921) gained recognition as a pioneering educator in the town of Azkoitia. She founded one of the earliest schools for girls in the area, advocating for equal educational opportunities.
In more recent times, Xavier Elorreaga (1923-2001) was a celebrated writer and poet who played a crucial role in the preservation and promotion of the Basque language and culture through his literary works.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Elorreaga
Among Census respondents with the surname Elorreaga, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 83.8%. The next largest groups are White (13.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Elorreaga bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Elorreaga surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino83.8% · 93
- White13.5% · 15
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.8% · 2
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Elorreaga
Elorreaga appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#148,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
-11 bearers (-9.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 11,338 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #137,327 | 122 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #148,665 | 111 | 0.04 | -11 bearers (-9.0%) | Down 11,338 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Elorreaga surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #137,327 | #148,665 | -8.3% |
| Count | 122 | 111 | -9.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Elorreaga bearers went from 122 to 111 (-9.0% change). The surname moved down 11,338 positions in the national ranking, going from #137,327 to #148,665.
FAQ
Elorreaga surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Elorreaga?
Name Census estimates that about 127 living Americans carry the surname Elorreaga. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,698,853 residents.
How common is Elorreaga?
Elorreaga ranks #148,665 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 111 people with the surname Elorreaga. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (127), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Elorreaga.
Has Elorreaga become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Elorreaga went from 122 recorded bearers to 111. That is a decrease of 11 (-9.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #137,327 to #148,665.
What does the Census say about the background of Elorreaga?
Among Census respondents with the surname Elorreaga, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 83.8%. The next largest groups are White (13.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Elorreaga in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.8% (93 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Elorreaga appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (83.8%), White (13.5%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Elorreaga (2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Elorreaga mean?
A Basque surname derived from place names indicating origin from a valley or coastal region. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Elorreaga (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many Americans have the surname Elorreaga?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.