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

Olavarrieta, 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 Olavarrieta surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Olavarrieta in America

Olavarrieta is the 101737th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Olavarrieta surname appeared 177 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 Olavarrieta.

We can also compare 2010 data for Olavarrieta 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 Olavarrieta

The surname OLAVARRIETA originates from the Basque region of northern Spain and southwestern France. It is believed to have its roots in the early medieval period, around the 10th or 11th century. The name is derived from the Basque words "ola" meaning "mill" and "barri" meaning "new," combined with the suffix "-eta" denoting a place or location. This suggests that the name likely referred to a person or family associated with a new mill or someone who lived near a newly built mill.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name OLAVARRIETA can be found in a 13th-century document from the town of Azpeitia in Gipuzkoa, a province in the Basque Country. The document mentions an individual named Lope Olavarrieta, who owned land and property in the area.

In the 15th century, during the height of the Spanish Reconquista, there are records of a military leader named Juan de Olavarrieta who fought alongside the Catholic Monarchs against the Moors. He is mentioned in several chronicles of the time for his bravery and strategic contributions in the conquest of Granada.

Throughout the centuries, the name OLAVARRIETA has been associated with various notable figures. In the 17th century, there was a celebrated Basque poet and playwright named Pedro Olavarrieta, whose works were widely performed and appreciated in the region.

In the late 18th century, a prominent figure named Ignacio Olavarrieta played a significant role in the Basque wool trade, establishing a successful textile business that exported goods across Europe.

Another notable individual with this surname was María Olavarrieta, a 19th-century educator and advocate for women's rights in Spain. She founded several schools for girls and worked tirelessly to promote equal access to education for women.

The name OLAVARRIETA has also been linked to various place names throughout the Basque Country, such as the town of Olavarrieta in the municipality of Elgoibar, where the name likely originated.

While the surname OLAVARRIETA is not as common as some other Basque surnames, it has a rich history deeply rooted in the culture and traditions of the Basque region, reflecting the strong connection between the name and the geographic area from which it emerged.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Olavarrieta

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

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

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

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