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

Escarzaga, 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 Escarzaga surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Escarzaga in America

Escarzaga is the 63873rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Escarzaga surname appeared 312 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 Escarzaga.

We can also compare 2010 data for Escarzaga 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 Escarzaga

The surname Escarzaga is of Spanish origin, tracing its roots back to the Basque region of northern Spain during the medieval period. One theory suggests that the name is derived from the Basque word "ezkertsu," meaning "left-handed" or "southpaw," and the suffix "-aga," indicating a place or location. This might indicate that the name originally referred to a place inhabited by left-handed individuals or a prominent left-handed family.

Another possible origin lies in the combination of the Basque words "eskarz," meaning "scarcity" or "lack," and "aga," implying a place where resources were scarce or lacking. This could have been a descriptor for a settlement or region with limited resources, which then became associated with a particular family or clan.

Early records of the surname date back to the 13th century, with references found in various municipal and ecclesiastical documents from the Basque provinces of Gipuzkoa and Bizkaia. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Juan de Escarzaga, a prominent landowner and knight who fought alongside King Alfonso VIII of Castile during the conquest of Cuenca in 1177.

In the 15th century, the Escarzaga family gained prominence in the town of Bilbao, where several members held influential positions in local governance and trade guilds. Notably, Rodrigo de Escarzaga served as the mayor of Bilbao in 1462, and his descendants continued to play a significant role in the city's affairs for generations.

As the Spanish Empire expanded into the Americas during the 16th and 17th centuries, several individuals bearing the Escarzaga surname participated in the exploration and colonization efforts. One such figure was Diego de Escarzaga, a conquistador who accompanied Hernán Cortés during the conquest of Mexico in the 1520s.

In the 18th century, the Escarzaga family established a presence in the Philippines, where they held positions within the Spanish colonial administration. José de Escarzaga, born in 1732, served as the governor of the province of Tondo (now part of Metro Manila) from 1775 to 1778.

Other notable individuals with the Escarzaga surname include:

1. Juan de Escarzaga y Altuna (1590-1663), a Basque theologian and author known for his works on moral theology.
2. Mariano de Escarzaga y Lazcano (1762-1832), a Spanish naval officer who participated in the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805.
3. Catalina de Escarzaga (1835-1901), a prominent philanthropist and benefactor in Bilbao, known for her support of charitable institutions and cultural initiatives.
4. Enrique de Escarzaga y Lozano (1876-1957), a Spanish diplomat who served as the ambassador to several countries, including Argentina and the United States.
5. Javier Escarzaga (born 1957), a contemporary Spanish novelist and playwright, whose works explore themes of identity and social commentary.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Escarzaga

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

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

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

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