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

Otalora, 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 Otalora surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Otalora in America

Otalora is the 83834th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Otalora surname appeared 224 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 Otalora.

We can also compare 2010 data for Otalora 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 Otalora

The surname Otalora is believed to have originated in Spain during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Basque language, which was spoken in parts of northern Spain and southwestern France. The name may have its roots in the Basque words "ota," meaning "wolf," and "lora," meaning "flower," suggesting a possible connection to a location or region associated with these elements.

One theory suggests that the name Otalora could be linked to the town of Otálora, located in the province of Álava, in the Basque Country region of Spain. This area has a long history dating back to Roman times, and the name may have originated from a local landowner or prominent family residing in or near Otálora.

Records from the 12th and 13th centuries indicate the presence of individuals bearing variations of the name Otalora in certain regions of Spain, such as Castile and Navarre. However, the earliest documented mention of the surname is found in a 1387 census record from the city of Vitoria, in the Basque Country, where a certain Juan de Otalora is listed as a resident.

Throughout the centuries, the Otalora surname has been associated with several notable figures. One such individual was Diego de Otalora y Guevara (1500-1567), a Spanish lawyer and judge who served as a member of the Royal Council of Castile during the reign of King Philip II.

Another prominent bearer of the name was Juan de Otalora y Olano (1569-1645), a Spanish military officer and governor of the province of Cartagena in present-day Colombia during the Spanish colonial era.

In the field of literature, Pedro de Otalora y Moncada (1623-1689) was a Spanish writer and poet who gained recognition for his works, including "El Cortesano" (The Courtier), published in 1662.

Moving to the 18th century, Miguel de Otalora y Olmedo (1712-1790) was a Spanish clergyman and bishop who held the position of Bishop of Caracas, in what is now Venezuela, from 1772 until his death.

In more recent times, Ignacio Otalora (1909-1989) was a Colombian writer and journalist known for his works exploring the culture and traditions of his native country.

While the surname Otalora has its roots in Spain, particularly in the Basque region, it has since spread to other parts of the world, including Latin America, due to Spanish colonization and migration patterns over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Otalora

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

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

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

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