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

Moya, 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 Moya surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Moya in America

Moya is the 2001st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Moya surname appeared 18,071 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 6 people would have the surname Moya.

We can also compare 2010 data for Moya 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 Moya

The surname Moya has its origins in Spain and dates back to the 10th century. It is believed to be derived from the Spanish word "moya," which means "boundary marker" or "boundary stone." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who lived near a boundary or a landowner who marked their property with boundary stones.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in medieval Spanish documents from the regions of Castile and Aragon. In the 12th century, a nobleman named Rodrigo de Moya was mentioned in a charter granted by King Alfonso VII of León and Castile. This suggests that the name was already well-established among the Spanish nobility during that time.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in the "Libro de la Montería" (Book of the Hunt), a medieval hunting treatise commissioned by King Alfonso XI of Castile. The book mentions a place called "Moya" in the province of Cuenca, which may have been the origin of the surname for some families.

One of the earliest known bearers of the surname was Pedro de Moya, a Spanish soldier and explorer who accompanied Christopher Columbus on his second voyage to the Americas in 1493. He is believed to have settled in the Caribbean and played a role in the early colonization of the region.

Another notable figure was Juan Bautista de Moya, a Spanish architect and engineer who lived in the 16th century. He is best known for his work on the Cathedral of Segovia and the Alcázar of Toledo, two important architectural landmarks in Spain.

In the 17th century, Antonio de Moya y Contreras was a prominent Spanish artist and painter who worked in the Baroque style. His works can be found in various churches and museums across Spain.

During the 18th century, José de Moya y Luzuriaga was a Spanish military officer and colonial administrator who served as the governor of Spanish Florida from 1770 to 1781. He played a significant role in defending the region against the British during the American Revolutionary War.

In the 19th century, Juan Moya Idígoras was a Spanish politician and statesman who served as the Prime Minister of Spain from 1836 to 1837. He was a prominent figure during the turbulent period of the Carlist Wars and the transition to a constitutional monarchy in Spain.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Moya

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

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

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

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