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

Urrieta, 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 Urrieta surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Urrieta in America

Urrieta is the 132206th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Urrieta surname appeared 128 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 Urrieta.

We can also compare 2010 data for Urrieta 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 Urrieta

The surname Urrieta originates from the Basque region of northern Spain and southwestern France. It likely dates back to the medieval period, around the 10th-12th centuries. The name is derived from the Basque words "urri" meaning "rare" or "scarce" and "eta" meaning "and". This suggests the name may have originally referred to someone who lived in a sparsely populated area or a remote location.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Codex Calixtinus, a 12th-century manuscript detailing the various routes of the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage. A certain Petrus de Urrieta is mentioned as a resident of the town of Puente la Reina, located along the French Way of the pilgrimage trail.

The name has also been found in various local charters and records from the region, such as the Cartulario de San Millán de la Cogolla, a collection of medieval documents from the monastery of San Millán de la Cogolla in La Rioja, Spain. These documents contain references to individuals with variations of the name, such as Urrieta, Urriaga, and Urrutia.

One notable bearer of the name was Juan de Urrieta, a Basque navigator and explorer who accompanied Ferdinand Magellan on his famous circumnavigation voyage in the early 16th century. Urrieta served as a pilot on the expedition and is credited with charting several islands in the Pacific Ocean.

Another significant figure was Domingo de Urrieta, a Spanish military officer and colonial administrator who served as the Governor of the Philippines from 1701 to 1709. He played a crucial role in fortifying the defenses of Manila against potential attacks from other colonial powers.

In the 18th century, Ignacio de Urrieta y Borja was a prominent Spanish architect and urban planner. He was responsible for designing several important buildings and public works projects in Madrid and other cities across Spain.

The name Urrieta has also been associated with various place names in the Basque region, such as the town of Urrieta in Navarre, and the Urrieta Valley in Gipuzkoa. These place names likely originated from the surname itself, reflecting the presence of families bearing the name in those areas.

Throughout its history, the surname Urrieta has maintained a strong connection to its Basque roots and has been carried by individuals from diverse walks of life, including explorers, colonial administrators, architects, and countless others who have contributed to the rich cultural tapestry of the region.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Urrieta

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

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

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

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