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

Oquendo, 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 Oquendo surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Oquendo in America

Oquendo is the 6263rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Oquendo surname appeared 5,455 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Oquendo.

We can also compare 2010 data for Oquendo 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 Oquendo

The surname Oquendo originated in Spain during the medieval period. It is believed to have its roots in the Basque Country, a region straddling the border between Spain and France. The name is likely derived from the Basque words "ogi" meaning "bread" and "ondo" meaning "good" or "quality," suggesting it may have been an occupational name referring to a skilled baker or someone associated with the production of high-quality bread.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Oquendo name can be traced back to the 13th century. In 1268, a document from the town of Vitoria-Gasteiz in the Basque Country mentioned a certain "Sancho Oquendo," suggesting the name was already in use at that time.

During the 15th and 16th centuries, the Oquendo family gained prominence in various regions of Spain. One notable figure was Miguel de Oquendo y Segura (1577-1633), a Spanish naval officer and military commander who played a crucial role in several naval battles against the Dutch and the English during the Eighty Years' War and the Anglo-Spanish War. He is remembered for his bravery and tactical skills, particularly in the Battle of the Downs in 1639.

Another historical figure with the Oquendo surname was Antonio de Oquendo y Navarro (1577-1640), a Spanish soldier and governor of the Spanish Netherlands. He was involved in several military campaigns and served as the governor of the Duchy of Milan from 1628 to 1633.

In the 17th century, the Oquendo family had a strong presence in the Spanish colonial empire. Juan de Oquendo y Navarro (1598-1673) was a Spanish naval officer who served as the governor of Cartagena de Indias (present-day Colombia) from 1659 to 1663. He played a crucial role in defending the city against attacks by English forces led by Sir William Penn and Sir Christopher Myngs.

Moving into the 18th century, Pedro de Oquendo y Rebollo (1710-1786) was a Spanish naval officer and explorer who conducted several expeditions to the Pacific Ocean and contributed to the exploration and mapping of the coastlines of South America and the islands of the Pacific.

While the Oquendo surname has its roots in Spain and the Basque Country, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly Latin American countries with strong historical ties to Spain, such as Mexico, Colombia, and Argentina.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Oquendo

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

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

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

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