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

Norzagaray, 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 Norzagaray surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Norzagaray in America

Norzagaray is the 49824th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Norzagaray surname appeared 421 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 Norzagaray.

We can also compare 2010 data for Norzagaray 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 Norzagaray

The surname Norzagaray has its roots in the Basque region of northern Spain and southern France. It is believed to have originated as a place name referring to a specific village or area, likely derived from the Basque words "nor" meaning "where" and "zagarai" meaning "apple tree". This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who lived near an apple orchard or grove.

In the 15th century, records show the name Norzagaray appearing in various forms, such as "Norzagarai" and "Norzagarray", in documents from the region. One of the earliest known references is found in a 1492 land deed from the village of Bermeo, which mentions a José Norzagarai as a landowner.

The name is also found in the archives of the Kingdom of Navarre, with a record from 1531 mentioning a Juan de Norzagaray who served as a soldier in the royal army. Another notable early bearer of the name was Martín Norzagaray, a merchant from Bilbao who is mentioned in shipping manifests from the late 16th century.

As the Basque people migrated and settled in different parts of Spain and beyond, the name Norzagaray spread with them. In the 17th century, there are records of individuals with this surname in the Americas, likely descendants of early Spanish settlers and explorers.

One prominent figure was Pedro Norzagaray, a Spanish military officer who served in the conquest of Mexico in the 1520s under Hernán Cortés. Another notable individual was María Norzagaray, a wealthy landowner in colonial Peru in the late 1600s, known for her philanthropic work and support of local churches.

In the 19th century, the name can be found in various parts of the Spanish-speaking world, including Mexico, Argentina, and the Philippines, where it was likely introduced during the Spanish colonial period. One notable bearer was José Norzagaray, a Mexican politician and lawyer who served as a senator in the mid-1800s.

While the Norzagaray surname is not among the most common in the world, it has a rich history tied to the Basque culture and the migration of Spanish settlers throughout the centuries. Its etymology reflects the importance of agriculture and place names in the development of many surnames.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Norzagaray

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

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

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

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