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

Landa, 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 Landa surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Landa in America

Landa is the 4298th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Landa surname appeared 8,267 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Landa.

We can also compare 2010 data for Landa 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 Landa

The surname Landa is believed to have originated in Spain during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Basque word "landa," which means "countryside" or "cultivated land." This suggests that the name may have been initially given to someone who lived in or worked on a rural estate or farmland.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Landa can be traced back to the 12th and 13th centuries in various regions of Spain, particularly in the Basque Country and the surrounding areas. Some of the earliest known bearers of the name include Juan de Landa, a nobleman from Navarre mentioned in historical records from the 1200s, and Pedro Landa, a landowner from the Basque Province of Álava who was documented in the 1300s.

During the 15th and 16th centuries, the name Landa gained prominence in Spain with the rise of several notable figures. One such individual was Diego de Landa, a Spanish Franciscan friar and bishop who lived from 1524 to 1579. He is infamous for his role in the destruction of many Maya codices and his harsh treatment of the indigenous population during the Spanish colonization of the Yucatán Peninsula.

Another prominent bearer of the surname was Niccolò Landa, an Italian painter and architect who lived from 1535 to 1599. He worked primarily in Spain and is best known for his contributions to the design and construction of the Escorial monastery near Madrid.

In the 17th century, Pedro de Landa y Calderón, a Spanish soldier and governor of the Philippines, played a significant role in the Spanish colonization efforts in the Pacific. He served as the governor of the Philippines from 1659 to 1663.

As the Spanish empire expanded, the surname Landa began to spread across Europe and the Americas. In the 18th century, José Félix de Landa y Noriega, a Spanish naval officer and explorer, led several expeditions to the Pacific Northwest regions of North America and contributed to the mapping and exploration of those territories.

Throughout its history, the surname Landa has been associated with various professions, including landowners, military leaders, religious figures, and explorers. While the name originated in Spain, it has since been adopted by families in other parts of Europe, Latin America, and beyond, reflecting the far-reaching influence of the Spanish language and culture.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Landa

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

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

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

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