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

Orihuela, 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 Orihuela surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Orihuela in America

Orihuela is the 18584th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Orihuela surname appeared 1,483 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 Orihuela.

We can also compare 2010 data for Orihuela 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 Orihuela

The surname Orihuela has its origins in Spain, specifically in the region of Valencia. It is derived from the name of the city of Orihuela, located in the province of Alicante. The name Orihuela itself is believed to have roots in Arabic, originating from the words "aur" and "hwara," which roughly translate to "fertile land."

During the Moorish occupation of Spain, which lasted from the 8th to the 15th century, the city of Orihuela was an important center of agriculture and trade. The name Orihuela began appearing in historical records and documents from this time period, often referring to individuals who hailed from or had ties to the city.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Orihuela can be found in the "Repartimiento de Orihuela," a document dating back to 1265. This document details the distribution of land and properties in the city after its reconquest by the Christian forces of Aragon.

In the 14th century, a nobleman named Juan Orihuela was mentioned in several chronicles as a participant in the Reconquista, the campaign to drive the Moors out of the Iberian Peninsula. Juan Orihuela was born in the city of Orihuela around 1320 and served under King Pedro IV of Aragon.

Another notable figure with the surname Orihuela was Pedro Orihuela, a merchant and explorer from Valencia who sailed with Christopher Columbus on his second voyage to the Americas in 1493. Pedro Orihuela was born in Orihuela in 1465 and died in the Caribbean island of Hispaniola (modern-day Haiti and Dominican Republic) in 1502.

In the 16th century, a prominent scholar and clergyman named Diego Orihuela made significant contributions to the study of theology and philosophy. Diego Orihuela was born in Orihuela in 1525 and authored several influential works, including "Tractatus de Civitate Dei" (Treatise on the City of God).

Towards the end of the 17th century, a Spanish artist named Cristóbal Orihuela gained recognition for his religious paintings and frescoes. Cristóbal Orihuela was born in Orihuela in 1665 and worked extensively in churches and monasteries throughout Valencia and Murcia.

As the name suggests, the surname Orihuela has deep ties to the city of the same name in Spain. Over the centuries, individuals with this surname have made their mark in various fields, from exploration and military service to scholarship and the arts.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Orihuela

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

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

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

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