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

Larrain, 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 Larrain surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Larrain in America

Larrain is the 106570th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Larrain surname appeared 167 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 Larrain.

We can also compare 2010 data for Larrain 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 Larrain

The surname LARRAIN originated from the Basque region of northern Spain and southern France during the medieval period. It is derived from the Basque word "larrain," which means "meadow" or "pasture." This suggests that the earliest bearers of this name may have lived near or worked on a meadow or pasture.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the LARRAIN surname can be found in the Becerro General, a 14th-century Spanish census document. Here, the name is spelled "Larrayn," indicating its Basque roots. It is believed that the surname first appeared in the Basque provinces of Navarra and Guipúzcoa.

In the 16th century, the LARRAIN name spread to the Americas with the Spanish colonization of the New World. One notable figure was Juan Fernández de LARRAIN (1535-1605), a Spanish conquistador who participated in the conquest of Chile and served as the first governor of the city of La Serena.

Another prominent individual with this surname was José Victorino LARRAIN (1779-1847), a Chilean politician and diplomat who served as the first President of the Chilean Supreme Court. He played a crucial role in the formation of the Chilean judicial system after the country's independence.

During the 19th century, the LARRAIN family became one of the most influential and wealthy in Chile. Notable members included Manuel José LARRAIN (1817-1887), a prominent landowner and businessman, and his son, Rafael LARRAIN Moxó (1843-1923), who served as the Minister of Finance and Foreign Affairs in Chile.

In the realm of literature, the Chilean writer and Nobel Prize laureate, Gabriela MISTRAL (1889-1957), was born Lucila Godoy ALCAYAGA, but her mother's maiden name was LARRAIN. This connection to the prestigious LARRAIN family played a role in her literary success and recognition.

Throughout its history, the LARRAIN surname has undergone various spellings, such as "Larrayn," "Larrainn," and "Larraing," reflecting its Basque origins and the influence of Spanish orthography. However, the modern spelling "LARRAIN" has become the predominant form, particularly in Chile and other Latin American countries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Larrain

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

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

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

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