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

Urzúa, 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 Urzúa surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Urzúa in America

Urzúa is the 16385th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Urzúa surname appeared 1,757 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Urzúa.

We can also compare 2010 data for Urzúa 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 Urzúa

The surname URZUA has its origins in Spain, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to have originated from the Basque region of northern Spain and southwestern France, where the name was likely derived from the Basque word "urtsu," meaning "watery" or "abundant in water."

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name URZUA can be found in the Becerro Antiguo, a medieval census record from the 14th century. This document lists several individuals with variations of the surname, such as Urçua and Urçoa, indicating that the name was already well-established in that region.

During the 15th century, the URZUA name appeared in various historical records, including the Libro de Armeria, a heraldic manuscript documenting noble families and their coats of arms. This suggests that the URZUA family held a certain degree of social status and prominence at the time.

The first notable figure with the surname URZUA was Juan de Urzua, a Spanish explorer and conquistador who lived in the late 16th century. He led an expedition to the northern territories of New Spain (present-day Mexico) in search of the legendary Seven Cities of Gold.

In the 17th century, Alonso de Urzua y Arizmendi (c. 1590-1655) was a Spanish military officer who served as the Governor of New Mexico from 1638 to 1639. He played a crucial role in the defense of the region against attacks by indigenous tribes.

Another significant individual bearing the URZUA name was María de Urzua (born c. 1680), a Spanish noblewoman known for her philanthropic endeavors. She founded several charitable institutions and educational facilities in her hometown of Bilbao, leaving a lasting impact on the local community.

In the 19th century, José María Urzua (1811-1872) was a prominent Mexican politician and military leader. He served as the Governor of Zacatecas and played a key role in the War of the Reform, supporting the liberal forces against the conservative regime.

Towards the end of the 19th century, Manuel Urzua (1868-1935) was a Chilean lawyer and politician who served as the Minister of Finance and the Minister of Foreign Affairs during the early 20th century. He was instrumental in shaping Chile's economic and diplomatic policies at the time.

While the URZUA surname originated in Spain, it has since spread to various parts of the world, particularly to countries in Latin America, due to Spanish colonization and migration. Despite its widespread distribution, the name maintains a strong connection to its Basque roots and the historical significance it holds within that cultural context.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Urzúa

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

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

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

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