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

López-Ayala, 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 López-Ayala surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of López-Ayala in America

López-Ayala is the 129047th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The López-Ayala surname appeared 132 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 López-Ayala.

The history of the last name López-Ayala

The surname LOPEZAYALA is of Spanish origin, tracing its roots back to the medieval period in the Iberian Peninsula. It is a compound surname, formed by the combination of two older surnames – Lopez and Ayala.

Lopez is a patronymic surname derived from the Spanish given name Lope, which in turn comes from the Germanic name Loup or Lop, meaning "wolf." This name was particularly common in the northern regions of Spain during the Middle Ages. Ayala, on the other hand, is a toponymic surname believed to have originated from the town of Ayala, located in the Basque region of Spain.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Lopez can be found in the Codex Calixtinus, a 12th-century manuscript that chronicles the pilgrimage routes to Santiago de Compostela. Here, a certain Fernán López is mentioned as a wealthy landowner who donated property to the Church. The Ayala branch of the surname has its own notable historical figure, Pedro López de Ayala (1332-1407), a prominent poet, historian, and diplomat who served as the Grand Chancellor of Castile during the reigns of several Castilian monarchs.

Throughout the centuries, the surname LOPEZAYALA has been associated with various notable individuals. One such person was Diego López de Ayala (1475-1537), a Spanish conquistador who participated in the conquest of Mexico alongside Hernán Cortés. Another notable figure was Ignacio López de Ayala (1658-1733), a Spanish sailor and explorer who was the first European to map the Mariana Islands in the Pacific Ocean.

In the realm of literature, Juan López de Ayala (1662-1730) was a Spanish playwright and poet who wrote numerous comedies and religious works during the Golden Age of Spanish literature. More recently, Adelardo López de Ayala (1828-1879) was a prominent Spanish politician, writer, and statesman who served as the Prime Minister of Spain from 1876 to 1878.

It is worth noting that the surname LOPEZAYALA has also given rise to various place names throughout Spain, reflecting the geographic spread and influence of this family lineage. Examples include the town of Ayala in Álava, and the municipality of Ayala in Badajoz, both named after the historical Ayala family.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name López-Ayala

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname López-Ayala.

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 López-Ayala 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.

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 López-Ayala was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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