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

Morua, 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 Morua surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Morua in America

Morua is the 23251st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Morua surname appeared 1,096 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 Morua.

We can also compare 2010 data for Morua 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 Morua

The surname MORUA originates from the Basque region of northern Spain and southwestern France, dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Basque word "moru," meaning "hill" or "mound," suggesting that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived on or near a hill.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the MORUA surname can be found in the Cartulario de San Millán de la Cogolla, a medieval manuscript from the monastery of San Millán de la Cogolla in La Rioja, Spain. This document, dating back to the late 12th century, contains references to individuals with the surname MORUA.

During the 13th century, the MORUA surname appeared in various records and documents across the Basque Country and neighboring regions. For example, a certain Juan de Morua was mentioned in a land transaction record from the town of Vitoria-Gasteiz in 1257.

By the 14th century, the MORUA surname had spread beyond the Basque region, with notable individuals bearing the name appearing in other parts of Spain and even in neighboring countries. One such figure was Rodrigo de Morua, a Spanish nobleman who served as a military commander during the Reconquista in the late 14th century.

In the 15th century, the MORUA surname gained prominence with the rise of Diego de Morua, a renowned architect and stonemason who contributed to the construction of several important buildings in Burgos, Spain, including the Colegiata de San Pedro. Diego de Morua lived from approximately 1420 to 1498.

Another notable figure with the MORUA surname was Martín de Morua, a Spanish explorer and navigator who accompanied Ferdinand Magellan on his famous circumnavigation voyage in the early 16th century. Martín de Morua was born around 1480 and played a crucial role in the expedition, contributing to the successful crossing of the Pacific Ocean.

As the centuries passed, the MORUA surname continued to spread and diversify, with branches emerging in various regions of Spain, as well as in other countries where Spanish influence was significant, such as Mexico and other parts of Latin America.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Morua

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

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

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

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