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

Orona, 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 Orona surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Orona in America

Orona is the 5649th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Orona surname appeared 6,145 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 Orona.

We can also compare 2010 data for Orona 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 Orona

The surname Orona is of Basque origin, originating in the Basque Country region spanning parts of northern Spain and southwestern France. The name is believed to have derived from the Basque word "orn," meaning "oven" or "furnace," potentially indicating an occupation or location associated with baking or metallurgy.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the Orona surname can be found in the Cartulario de San Millán de la Cogolla, a medieval manuscript dating back to the 11th century. This cartulary, which contains records of land transactions and legal documents, includes references to individuals with the surname Orona in the region of La Rioja, Spain.

During the Middle Ages, the Orona family held significant influence and land holdings in the Basque provinces of Álava and Vizcaya. A notable figure from this period was Juan Pérez de Orona, a nobleman and military leader who fought alongside King Alfonso XI of Castile in the 14th century.

The Orona surname also has ties to notable figures in Spanish literature and arts. Miguel de Orona, born in Vitoria in 1564, was a celebrated poet and playwright during the Spanish Golden Age. His works, such as "La Conquista de las Malucas" and "El Marqués de las Navas," explored themes of honor, love, and conquest.

In the 18th century, Francisco Javier de Orona y Echeverría, born in 1721 in Durango, Vizcaya, was a renowned architect and engineer. He designed several notable buildings in Madrid, including the Royal Palace of Aranjuez and the Church of San Marcos.

Another prominent individual bearing the Orona surname was María Josefa Orona y Gaytán de Ayala, a Spanish novelist and playwright from the 19th century. Born in Cádiz in 1816, she was known for her works that depicted the struggles and societal roles of women during her time.

The Orona surname can also be found in various parts of Latin America, likely due to Spanish colonization and migration. In Mexico, for instance, the town of Orona in the state of Chihuahua bears the name, suggesting the presence of early settlers with this surname in the region.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Orona

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

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

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

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