Ireta last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Ireta

Origin unknown, likely of Basque or Spanish descent.

Ireta, 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 Ireta surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ireta in America

Ireta is the 79846th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ireta surname appeared 238 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 Ireta.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ireta 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 79846 115489 -36.49%
Count 238 140 51.85%
Proportion per 100k 0.08 0.05 46.15%

The history of the last name Ireta

The surname Ireta originated in the Basque region of northern Spain and southwestern France, with records dating back to the 11th century. It is believed to derive from the Basque word 'iri', meaning 'town' or 'village', combined with the suffix '-eta', indicating a place of origin or residence. This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who hailed from a particular town or village.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Ireta can be found in a medieval document from the year 1098, which mentions a landowner named Sancho Ireta in the town of Hernani, near San Sebastián, Spain. This document provides valuable insight into the name's early use and geographical roots.

In the 13th century, a notable figure named Juan Ireta was a renowned architect who contributed to the construction of several churches and monasteries in the Basque region. His legacy can be seen in the intricate stonework and architectural details of these historic structures.

During the 15th century, the name Ireta appeared in the records of the Kingdom of Navarre, which encompassed parts of present-day Spain and France. One example is Maria Ireta, a noblewoman who was involved in a legal dispute over land ownership in the year 1472.

Another prominent individual bearing the surname Ireta was Pedro Ireta, a 16th-century navigator and explorer from the Basque Country. He accompanied Spanish expeditions to the Americas and is credited with mapping several islands in the Caribbean Sea.

In the 17th century, a scholar named Sebastián Ireta made significant contributions to the study of Basque language and culture. His writings on Basque grammar and literature are still referenced by linguists and historians today.

As the name Ireta spread beyond its original Basque homeland, variations in spelling and pronunciation emerged. Some alternative forms include Irieta,Iriarte, and Iriate, reflecting the linguistic influences of different regions and dialects.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ireta

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

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 Ireta was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 3.36% 8
Non-Hispanic Black Only 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 0.00% 0
Hispanic Origin 96.64% 230

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 Ireta has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 3.36% (S)% (S)%
Black 0.00% (S)% (S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander 0.00% (S)% (S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%
Two or More Races 0.00% (S)% (S)%
Hispanic 96.64% 92.14% 4.77%

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Ireta last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on November 22, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/ireta-surname-popularity/.

"Ireta last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/ireta-surname-popularity/. Accessed 22 November, 2024

Ireta last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/ireta-surname-popularity/.

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