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

Orea, 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 Orea surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Orea in America

Orea is the 19527th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Orea surname appeared 1,383 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 Orea.

We can also compare 2010 data for Orea 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 Orea

The surname OREA is of Spanish origin, specifically from the regions of Navarra and the Basque Country, dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Basque word "ore," meaning "place" or "location," suggesting that the name may have been associated with a particular place or settlement.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname OREA can be found in the Becerro Antiguo de la Merindad de Olite, a medieval census document from the Kingdom of Navarre, dated around 1280. This document mentions several individuals with the surname OREA, indicating its prevalence in the region during that time period.

In the 14th century, the surname OREA appeared in various historical records, such as the Libro de Fuegos de la Merindad de Estella, a tax register from the Kingdom of Navarre. This document lists several households with the surname OREA, providing insight into the geographical distribution of the name within the region.

During the 15th century, the surname OREA gained prominence with the rise of Juan de Orea, a prominent military commander and nobleman from Navarra. Juan de Orea played a significant role in the wars against the Moors during the Reconquista and was rewarded with lands and titles for his services to the Crown of Aragon.

Another notable figure bearing the surname OREA was Pedro de Orea, a renowned architect from the 16th century. Pedro de Orea was responsible for the design and construction of several notable buildings, including the Colegio de San Gregorio in Valladolid, Spain, completed in 1588.

In the 17th century, the surname OREA was associated with María de Orea, a celebrated poet and writer from Navarra. Her works, which included both religious and secular poetry, were widely acclaimed during her lifetime and contributed to the cultural heritage of the region.

The 18th century saw the emergence of Manuel Orea, a prominent military officer and explorer from Spain. Manuel Orea led several expeditions to the Americas, including the exploration of parts of present-day California and the Pacific Northwest, contributing to the expansion of Spanish influence in the region.

Throughout its history, the surname OREA has also been associated with various place names and settlements in Spain, particularly in the regions of Navarra and the Basque Country. For example, the village of Orea in the province of Guadalajara is believed to have derived its name from the OREA surname.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Orea

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

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

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

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