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

Gurrola, 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 Gurrola surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gurrola in America

Gurrola is the 4883rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gurrola surname appeared 7,211 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Gurrola.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gurrola 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 Gurrola

The surname Gurrola originates from Spain, likely dating back to the 8th or 9th century during the Moorish occupation of the Iberian Peninsula. It is believed to derive from the Arabic word "ghurra," which means "young falcon" or "young hawk." This suggests that the name may have been initially given to someone who kept falcons or hawks, possibly for hunting or falconry.

The name Gurrola can be traced back to the northern regions of Spain, particularly in the Basque Country and the Navarre region. These areas were heavily influenced by the Arabic culture and language during the Moorish rule, which could explain the adoption of an Arabic-derived surname.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Gurrola surname can be found in the Becerro de las Behetrías, a historical document from the 14th century that documented the feudal landholdings in the Kingdom of Castile. This suggests that the Gurrola family had already established itself as a prominent lineage by that time.

In the 16th century, during the Spanish colonization of the Americas, several individuals bearing the Gurrola surname made their way to the New World. One notable figure was Diego de Gurrola, a Spanish explorer and conquistador who participated in the conquest of Nueva Galicia (present-day western Mexico) in the 1530s.

Another prominent individual with the Gurrola surname was Juan de Gurrola, a Spanish military officer and governor of the province of Yucatán in the late 16th century. He played a crucial role in defending the region against pirate attacks and indigenous uprisings.

In the 17th century, the Gurrola family had members who were involved in the Catholic Church. One such figure was Fray Andrés de Gurrola, a Franciscan friar and missionary who worked in the evangelization of indigenous communities in New Spain (present-day Mexico).

Moving into the 18th century, José María Gurrola was a Spanish-born military officer who served in the Spanish colonial army in New Spain. He participated in various campaigns against indigenous revolts and played a role in the defense of the Spanish colonies.

In the 19th century, Manuel Gurrola was a Mexican politician and military leader who fought in the Mexican-American War (1846-1848). He later served as the governor of the state of Sinaloa in the 1860s.

The Gurrola surname has maintained a presence in various regions of Spain, Mexico, and other Latin American countries over the centuries, with notable individuals continuing to contribute to various fields, including politics, military, religion, and exploration.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gurrola

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

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

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

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