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

Obaya, 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 Obaya surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Obaya in America

Obaya is the 120187th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Obaya surname appeared 144 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 Obaya.

We can also compare 2010 data for Obaya 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 Obaya

The surname Obaya has its origins in the Basque region of Spain and France, tracing back to the early medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Basque word "oba," which means "valley" or "hollow," suggesting that the name may have been given to those residing in a particular valley or geographic area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Obaya can be found in the Cartulario de San Millán de la Cogolla, a collection of medieval manuscripts from the monastery of San Millán de la Cogolla in La Rioja, Spain, dating back to the 10th century. This document mentions an individual named "Obaya Sanz," indicating the presence of the surname in the region during that time.

In the 12th century, the name Obaya appeared in the Becerro Antiguo de Leyre, an ancient register from the Monastery of Leyre in Navarre, Spain. This record includes references to several landowners and individuals with the surname Obaya, suggesting their influence and presence in the area.

The Basque region has a rich history of place names that may have contributed to the development of the surname Obaya. For instance, the village of Obaba in Navarre, Spain, shares a similar root, and it is possible that the surname originated from this or other related place names.

Among the notable individuals with the surname Obaya throughout history is Diego Obaya de Guzmán (1520-1592), a Spanish nobleman and military commander who served during the reign of King Philip II. Another prominent figure was Juan Obaya y Olazarán (1685-1754), a Basque architect and sculptor who contributed to the construction of several churches and buildings in Navarre and the Basque Country.

In the 19th century, Francisco Obaya y Lanz (1819-1895), a Spanish politician and lawyer, held the position of Minister of Justice and served in the Congress of Deputies. Additionally, María Obaya Jáuregui (1877-1942), a Basque writer and educator, was known for her contributions to children's literature and her efforts in promoting the Basque language and culture.

Manuel Obaya Navarro (1901-1985), a Spanish architect and urban planner, left a lasting impact on the city of Bilbao with his modernist designs and urban development projects during the mid-20th century.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Obaya

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

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

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

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