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

Ursua, 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 Ursua surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ursua in America

Ursua is the 38214th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ursua surname appeared 580 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 Ursua.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ursua 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 Ursua

The surname Ursua has its origins in the Basque region of northern Spain and southern France. It is derived from the Basque word "ursua," which means "bear." The name likely originated as a nickname or descriptive surname given to someone with bear-like qualities or features.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Ursua dates back to the 16th century. In 1552, a Pedro de Ursua was mentioned in Spanish colonial records as the leader of an ill-fated expedition to explore the Amazon River basin in search of the fabled city of El Dorado.

In the 17th century, the name appears in various historical documents, including the baptismal records of the village of Aia in Gipuzkoa, a province in the Basque Country. The surname was sometimes spelled as "Urssua" or "Ursua" during this period.

A notable figure bearing the surname Ursua was Juan de Ursua y Arismendi, a Spanish military officer and governor of Chile from 1624 to 1629. He played a significant role in the Arauco War, a series of long-running conflicts between the Spanish colonizers and the Mapuche people.

In the 18th century, José Antonio de Ursua y Muñoz de Toro was a Spanish naval officer and cartographer who served as the governor of the Philippines from 1741 to 1745. He was responsible for the construction of several fortifications and the development of the city of Manila.

Moving into the 19th century, Tomás de Ursua y Tomasena was a Spanish politician and jurist who served as the Minister of Justice and Interior Affairs during the reign of Queen Isabella II. He was born in 1807 and played a significant role in shaping the legal and political landscape of Spain during his time.

Throughout its history, the surname Ursua has been associated with various place names and locations in the Basque region, such as Aia, Itziar, and Oiartzun, among others. It has also been carried by individuals who have made notable contributions in fields like exploration, military service, politics, and law.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ursua

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

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

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

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