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

Loya, 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 Loya surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Loya in America

Loya is the 2931st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Loya surname appeared 12,232 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname Loya.

We can also compare 2010 data for Loya 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 Loya

The surname LOYA has its origins in Spain, and can be traced back to the 15th century. It is believed to have derived from the Spanish word "loya," which means "a small clay or mud deposit." This suggests that the name may have initially been an occupational surname, referring to someone who worked with clay or mud, such as a potter or brickmaker.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname LOYA can be found in historical documents from the regions of Aragon and Castile in Spain. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Juan de Loya, a nobleman who lived in the city of Zaragoza in the late 15th century.

In the 16th century, the name LOYA appeared in various Spanish manuscripts and records, including the archives of the Inquisition. One notable individual from this period was Hernando de Loya, a Franciscan friar who served as a missionary in the Americas during the Spanish colonization.

As the Spanish Empire expanded, the surname LOYA spread to other parts of the world, including Latin America and the Philippines. In Mexico, one of the earliest recorded instances of the name was Francisco de Loya, a conquistador who participated in the conquest of the Aztec Empire in the 16th century.

Over the centuries, several notable individuals have borne the surname LOYA. One of the most prominent was José María Loya, a Mexican military officer and politician who served as the Governor of Nuevo León in the mid-19th century. Another notable figure was Manuel Loya, a Cuban artist and painter who was known for his vibrant depictions of Cuban life in the early 20th century.

In more recent times, the surname LOYA has been associated with various individuals in different fields. For example, José Loya was a Mexican-American artist and sculptor who was active in the Chicano art movement in the latter half of the 20th century. Anita Loya, born in 1941, is a renowned Mexican sculptor and painter known for her abstract works.

While the surname LOYA has its roots in Spain, it has since become widely dispersed across various countries and cultures, reflecting the diverse paths taken by those who have carried this name throughout history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Loya

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

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

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

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