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

Ureta, 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 Ureta surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ureta in America

Ureta is the 33810th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ureta surname appeared 673 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 Ureta.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ureta 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 Ureta

The surname Ureta is believed to have originated from the Basque region of northern Spain and southwestern France. Its earliest roots can be traced back to the 11th or 12th century, derived from the Basque word "ureta," meaning "watery place" or "near water." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to people living in proximity to rivers, streams, or other bodies of water.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Ureta appears in a 13th-century manuscript documenting land transactions in the Basque town of Labourd. The name is also found in various medieval Spanish and French records, often spelled as "Ureta," "Uretha," or "Urreta."

In the 16th century, the Ureta surname gained prominence when Juan de Ureta, a Spanish navigator and explorer, embarked on several voyages to the Americas under the command of Spanish conquistadors. Juan de Ureta was born in the Basque province of Álava around 1510 and participated in the conquest of Peru, serving under Francisco Pizarro.

Another notable individual bearing the Ureta surname was Pedro de Ureta, a 17th-century Spanish painter and engraver known for his religious works. He was born in Alcalá de Henares around 1590 and produced numerous paintings and engravings for churches and monasteries in Spain.

In the 18th century, the Ureta name appears linked to several place names in the Basque region, such as Ureta-Auritz and Ureta-Gabika, further solidifying its connection to the area's geography and landscape.

One of the most prominent figures with the Ureta surname was Jesús Ureta, a 19th-century Mexican politician and military leader. Born in Zacatecas in 1834, he played a significant role in the Reform War and the French Intervention in Mexico, serving as a general in the Republican forces.

Another notable individual was Fermín Ureta, a Spanish painter and engraver active in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Born in Bilbao in 1857, he gained recognition for his landscapes and genre scenes depicting Basque culture and traditions.

While the surname Ureta originated in the Basque region, it has since spread to various parts of the world, particularly to Latin American countries like Mexico and Argentina, likely due to Spanish colonization and migration patterns.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ureta

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

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

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

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