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

Obando, 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 Obando surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Obando in America

Obando is the 9551st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Obando surname appeared 3,404 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Obando.

We can also compare 2010 data for Obando 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 Obando

The surname Obando originates from Spain and can be traced back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Basque word "obando," which means "meadow" or "field." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near or worked on a meadow or open field.

In the early 13th century, the name Obando appears in various historical records from the regions of Cantabria and Vizcaya in northern Spain. One notable example is the mention of a nobleman named Gonzalo Obando in a document from the year 1217, detailing land grants and property holdings in the town of Laredo.

The surname Obando is also found in several medieval manuscripts and chronicles from the Kingdom of Castile, indicating that individuals bearing this name held positions of importance or were involved in significant events during that time period.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Obando is Juan Obando, a Spanish conquistador born around 1480 in Seville. He participated in the conquest of Peru alongside Francisco Pizarro and was granted land and titles in recognition of his military service.

Another notable figure was Pedro de Obando, a 16th-century Spanish sailor and explorer who served as the Governor of Panama from 1534 to 1537. He was instrumental in establishing settlements along the Pacific coast of Central America and facilitating trade and exploration in the region.

In the 17th century, Baltasar Obando y Mogrovejo (1592-1669) was a Spanish clergyman who served as the Bishop of Guamanga (now Ayacucho) in Peru. He played a significant role in the Catholic Church's efforts to evangelize and educate the indigenous population of the region.

The surname Obando has also been associated with various place names throughout Spain, such as Obando de Camarzana in the province of Burgos, and Obando de Villarén in the province of Palencia. These locations may have contributed to the spread and variations of the surname over time.

One of the most prominent figures with the surname Obando was Rafael Obando y Ricaurte (1804-1886), a Colombian military leader and politician who served as President of Colombia from 1853 to 1854. He played a crucial role in the country's independence movement and the subsequent civil wars and political conflicts of the 19th century.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Obando

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

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

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

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