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

Loarca, 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 Loarca surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Loarca in America

Loarca is the 48995th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Loarca surname appeared 430 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 Loarca.

We can also compare 2010 data for Loarca 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 Loarca

The surname Loarca is believed to have originated in Spain during the Middle Ages. It is thought to be derived from the Spanish word "loarca," which means "crag" or "rocky outcrop." This suggests that the name may have initially been given to someone who lived near or on a rocky area.

The earliest known record of the Loarca surname dates back to the 13th century in the region of Aragon, located in the northeastern part of Spain. It is possible that the name was initially used as a descriptive name for a person or family who resided near a prominent rocky formation.

In the late 15th century, there are records of a nobleman named Juan de Loarca who served as a military commander during the Reconquista, the Christian reconquest of the Iberian Peninsula from the Moors. Juan de Loarca played a significant role in the capture of Granada in 1492, the final stronghold of the Moorish kingdom in Spain.

During the 16th century, the name Loarca appears in various historical documents from the Spanish colonial era. One notable figure was Andrés de Loarca, a Spanish explorer and writer who traveled to the Philippines in the late 1500s. He wrote a comprehensive account of the geography, culture, and people of the Philippine archipelago, providing valuable insights into the early colonial period.

In the 17th century, a prominent individual with the Loarca surname was Pedro de Loarca, a Spanish military officer and colonial administrator who served as the governor of Panama from 1635 to 1639. He played a crucial role in defending the strategic isthmus against pirate attacks and strengthening the region's defenses.

Another notable figure from the 18th century was Francisco de Loarca, a Spanish missionary and linguist who worked in the Americas. He dedicated his life to studying and documenting the indigenous languages of Mexico and Central America, making significant contributions to the preservation of these linguistic traditions.

Throughout the centuries, the Loarca surname has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including scholars, artists, and professionals. While the name may have originated in Spain, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly to regions with a strong Spanish colonial influence.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Loarca

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

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

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Loarca, 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!