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

Virrueta, 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 Virrueta surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Virrueta in America

Virrueta is the 32123rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Virrueta surname appeared 718 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 Virrueta.

We can also compare 2010 data for Virrueta 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 Virrueta

The surname Virrueta has its origins in the Basque region of northern Spain and southwestern France. It likely emerged in the medieval period, derived from the Basque word "biru" meaning "to twist" or "to bend." This might suggest the name originally referred to an occupation or trade, such as a metal worker or craftsman who worked with twisting or bending materials.

Scholars have traced the name back to the 15th century, with early references found in municipal records from towns in the Spanish provinces of Gipuzkoa and Bizkaia. One of the earliest known bearers was Juan Virrueta, a blacksmith born around 1450 in the village of Eibar.

In the 16th century, the Virrueta name appeared in various legal documents and chronicles from the region. Notable examples include Pedro Virrueta, a merchant from San Sebastian who traveled extensively throughout Europe in the 1530s, and María Virrueta, a landowner in Bilbao whose estate is mentioned in a 1567 property dispute.

As the Basque people migrated and settled in other areas, the name spread to Spanish colonies in the Americas. One of the first recorded instances in the New World was Juan Bautista Virrueta, a soldier who arrived in Mexico City in 1596 and later took part in expeditions to the northern frontier regions.

Throughout the 17th and 18th centuries, the Virrueta surname can be found in various historical records from Spain, Mexico, and other parts of Spanish America. Significant figures include:

• Diego Virrueta (c. 1610-1680), a Jesuit priest and missionary who worked among indigenous populations in New Spain.
• Martín Virrueta (1675-1742), a wealthy merchant and landowner in Caracas, Venezuela.
• Ana María Virrueta (1718-1792), a renowned painter and portraitist in Madrid during the reign of King Charles III.
• José Virrueta (1761-1829), a military officer who fought in the Spanish American wars of independence and later served as governor of Panama.

In the 19th century, the Virrueta name spread further as families emigrated to other parts of Europe and the Americas. Notable Virruetas from this period include Ramón Virrueta (1805-1871), a prominent lawyer and politician in Argentina, and Emilia Virrueta (1831-1901), a celebrated operatic soprano who performed across Europe.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Virrueta

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

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

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

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