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

Najara, 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 Najara surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Najara in America

Najara is the 114424th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Najara surname appeared 153 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 Najara.

The history of the last name Najara

The surname Najara is believed to have originated in Spain, with its roots traced back to the medieval period. It is thought to have derived from the Spanish place name Najera, a town located in the province of La Rioja. This town's name is believed to stem from the Basque language, where "naje" means "fertile" and "era" means "land," suggesting the name may have initially referred to fertile or arable lands.

One of the earliest known references to the surname Najara can be found in the Libro de Repartimiento de Murcia, a medieval manuscript dating back to the 13th century. This document recorded the distribution of lands and properties among the conquering Christian forces in the region of Murcia after the Reconquista. Several individuals with the surname Najara were listed as recipients of land grants in this record.

During the 15th century, a notable figure bearing the Najara surname was Juan de Najara, a Spanish poet and courtier who served under King Juan II of Castile. Born around 1415, Juan de Najara is known for his contributions to the cancionero poetic tradition and his work at the royal court.

In the 16th century, Alonso de Najara, a Spanish explorer and conquistador, played a significant role in the exploration and conquest of the Americas. He accompanied Hernán Cortés on his expeditions to Mexico and participated in the conquest of the Aztec Empire.

Another notable individual with the Najara surname was Diego de Najara, a 17th-century Spanish painter known for his religious artworks, particularly those depicting scenes from the life of Christ and the Virgin Mary. He was active in Madrid during the early part of the century.

In the 18th century, Manuel de Najara y Garay was a prominent Spanish military officer and colonial administrator. He served as the governor of several Spanish colonies in the Americas, including Florida and Cuba, during the latter half of the century.

Throughout history, variations of the Najara surname have also been observed, such as Najera, Nájera, and Náxera. These variations often reflect regional spellings or adaptations of the original name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Najara

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

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

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

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