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

Murrieta, 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 Murrieta surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Murrieta in America

Murrieta is the 30043rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Murrieta surname appeared 781 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 Murrieta.

We can also compare 2010 data for Murrieta 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 Murrieta

The surname Murrietta originated in Spain during the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Spanish words "morro" meaning a hillock or small hill, and "eta" meaning a house or dwelling. The name likely referred to someone who lived near or on a small hill.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Murrietta can be found in a document from the Aragonese town of Calatayud, dated to the year 1312. This document mentions a "Juan de Murrietta" who was a landowner in the region.

In the 15th century, the Murrietta family was prominent in the Kingdom of Navarre, where they held significant landholdings and influence. Pedro Murrietta (1423-1488) was a respected military commander who fought in the Navarrese Civil War on the side of the Crown of Aragon.

The name Murrietta also appeared in various manuscripts and records from the Spanish colonies in the Americas during the 16th and 17th centuries. Hernán Murrietta (1522-1587) was a conquistador who participated in the Spanish conquest of Peru alongside Francisco Pizarro.

In the 18th century, the Murrietta family established themselves as influential merchants and bankers in the Spanish city of Cádiz. Tomás Murrietta (1712-1781) founded the Murrietta Banking House, which played a crucial role in facilitating trade between Spain and its American colonies.

Another notable figure with the surname Murrietta was Joaquín Murrieta (1829-1853), a Mexican outlaw and rebel who was active in California during the Gold Rush era. He became a legendary figure in American folklore, often depicted as a Robin Hood-like character defending Mexican and Native American rights against oppression.

While the surname Murrietta has its roots in Spain, it has since spread to various parts of the world, particularly in regions with significant Spanish or Hispanic influence. However, its origins can be traced back to the medieval period in the Iberian Peninsula, where it emerged as a name associated with geographical features and residential locations.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Murrieta

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

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

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

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