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

Urquiaga, 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 Urquiaga surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Urquiaga in America

Urquiaga is the 81458th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Urquiaga surname appeared 232 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 Urquiaga.

We can also compare 2010 data for Urquiaga 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 Urquiaga

The surname Urquiaga originated in the Basque region of northern Spain and southwestern France, an area known for its unique language and cultural traditions. The name likely derives from the Basque words "ur" meaning water and "aga" meaning mouth or entrance, suggesting a connection to a location near a river mouth or coastal inlet.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Urquiaga can be found in the 16th century, when it appeared in various municipal records and legal documents from the Basque provinces. The name was sometimes spelled slightly differently, such as Urchiaga or Urchiagua, reflecting the regional variations in Basque dialects.

During the late Middle Ages and Renaissance period, several individuals with the surname Urquiaga achieved notable status in the Basque region. Juan de Urquiaga (c. 1490-1560) was a respected lawyer and advisor to the Lordship of Bizkaia, while Pedro Urquiaga (1525-1592) was a prominent merchant and shipowner involved in trade between the Basque ports and the Americas.

In the 17th century, the name Urquiaga appeared in records related to the establishment of Basque settlements in the New World. Martín de Urquiaga (1610-1678) was among the early colonists who helped establish the city of Montevideo, Uruguay, in the 1720s.

As the Basque diaspora spread across Europe and the Americas, the surname Urquiaga became more widespread. One notable figure was José María Urquiaga (1768-1835), a Spanish military officer and colonial administrator who served as the Governor of Puerto Rico from 1824 to 1826.

In the 19th century, Ignacio Urquiaga (1822-1892) was a prominent Basque scholar and writer who authored several works on Basque language, literature, and history, helping to preserve and promote Basque cultural heritage.

Throughout its history, the surname Urquiaga has retained its strong association with the Basque people and their distinct cultural identity, reflecting the enduring influence of this ancient region on the development of surnames and family lineages.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Urquiaga

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

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

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

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