2000
#22,612
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,061
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.39
Rare Last name
Uranga
A Basque surname meaning valley or area surrounded by mountains.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,479 Americans carry the last name Uranga. That puts it at #20,760 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.43 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 231,747 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Uranga surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
1.5K
1 in 231,747
Census rank
#20,760
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,290 bearers of the surname Uranga in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.43 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 20760th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Uranga, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 83.9%. The next largest groups are White (14.1%) and Two or More Races (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Uranga
The surname URANGA is believed to have originated in the Basque region of Spain, specifically in the province of Gipuzkoa. Its roots can be traced back to the early medieval period, around the 10th or 11th century.
The name is thought to be derived from the Basque word "uranga," which means "a place near water" or "a ford." This suggests that the earliest bearers of the surname may have lived near a river or stream crossing, or in a location known for its proximity to water sources.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name URANGA can be found in the Codex Calixtinus, a 12th-century manuscript that documents the pilgrimage routes to Santiago de Compostela. The document mentions a settlement called "Uranga" along the Camino de Santiago, indicating the presence of the name in that region during that time.
In the 13th century, the URANGA surname appears in various historical records, such as the "Fueros de Vizcaya," a collection of laws and customs of the Basque region. This suggests that the name had become well-established among the local population by that point.
Throughout the centuries, several notable individuals have borne the URANGA surname. One example is Juan de Uranga (born around 1480), a Spanish explorer and navigator who accompanied Christopher Columbus on his fourth voyage to the Americas in 1502.
Another notable figure was Martín de Uranga (1555-1624), a Basque soldier and military engineer who served in the Spanish army during the Eighty Years' War against the Dutch Revolt. He was instrumental in the construction of fortifications and defense systems in the Low Countries.
In the realm of literature, Domingo de Uranga (1739-1818) was a Spanish poet and playwright from the Basque Country, known for his works in both Spanish and Basque languages.
José María de Uranga (1808-1857) was a Basque politician and lawyer who served as a deputy in the Spanish parliament, representing the province of Gipuzkoa.
More recently, Emilio Uranga (1921-1988) was a prominent Mexican philosopher and professor, known for his contributions to the field of existentialism and his work on Mexican identity and culture.
These are just a few examples of individuals who have carried the URANGA surname throughout history, highlighting the name's deep roots and presence across various regions and contexts.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Uranga
Among Census respondents with the surname Uranga, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 83.9%. The next largest groups are White (14.1%) and Two or More Races (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Uranga bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Uranga surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino83.9% · 1,082
- White14.1% · 182
- Two or more races0.9% · 12
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 7
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 4
- Black or African American0.2% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Uranga
Uranga appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#20,843
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,266
+205 bearers (+19.3%)
Per 100,000 0.43
Rank movement Up 1,769 places
2020
#20,760
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,290
+24 bearers (+1.9%)
Per 100,000 0.43
Rank movement Up 83 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #22,612 | 1,061 | 0.39 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #20,843 | 1,266 | 0.43 | +205 bearers (+19.3%) | Up 1,769 places |
| 2020 | #20,760 | 1,290 | 0.43 | +24 bearers (+1.9%) | Up 83 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Uranga surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #20,843 | #20,760 | 0.4% |
| Count | 1,266 | 1,290 | 1.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.43 | 0.43 | 0.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Uranga bearers went from 1,266 to 1,290 (+1.9% change). The surname moved up 83 positions in the national ranking, going from #20,843 to #20,760.
FAQ
Uranga surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Uranga?
Name Census estimates that about 1,479 living Americans carry the surname Uranga. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 231,747 residents.
How common is Uranga?
Uranga ranks #20,760 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.43 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,290 people with the surname Uranga. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,479), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.43 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.43 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Uranga.
Has Uranga become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Uranga went from 1,266 recorded bearers to 1,290. That is an increase of 24 (+1.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #20,843 to #20,760.
What does the Census say about the background of Uranga?
Among Census respondents with the surname Uranga, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 83.9%. The next largest groups are White (14.1%) and Two or More Races (0.9%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Uranga in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.9% (1,082 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Uranga appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (83.9%), White (14.1%), Two or More Races (0.9%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Uranga (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Uranga mean?
A Basque surname meaning valley or area surrounded by mountains. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Uranga (0.43 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the surname Uranga?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.