Show ContentsLoya History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The distinguished Spanish surname Loya is of local origin, being one of those surnames based on the name of a place where a man once lived or where he once owned land. During the Middle Ages, feudal lords adopted the name of their estates or lands as a family name, which they then passed on, along with the property, to their sons and heirs.

Early Origins of the Loya family

The surname Loya was first found in the mountainous Basque region in the province of Guipúzcoa.

Early History of the Loya family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Loya research. Another 101 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1491 and 1614 are included under the topic Early Loya History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Loya Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Loyola, Loiola, Loila, Lola, Lolita, Loya, Loyo and others.

Early Notables of the Loya family

Prominent among bearers of the family name at this time was Ignatius de Loyola, founder of the Jesuits, sainted St. Ignatius. He was born in 1491 in Azpeitia in the Basque region of Spain, grew up in a powerful family, and became an army officer. It was while he lay wounded by a French...
Another 54 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Loya Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Loya Ranking

In the United States, the name Loya is the 4,570th most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. 1


United States Loya migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Loya Settlers in United States in the 16th Century
  • Hernando De Loya who sailed from Seville to New Spain in 1574

Contemporary Notables of the name Loya (post 1700) +

  • Javier Loya (b. 1986), American boxer in the Light Welterweight division
  • Cliff Loya (b. 1981), American professional NHL ice hockey player for the Chicago Blackhawks
  • Joseph Oscar Loya (b. 1979), American singer and Broadway musical theatre performer
  • Mariana Loya (b. 1979), American beauty queen who has competed at both Miss America and Miss USA
  • Consuelo Argüelles Loya (b. 1977), Mexican politician, Deputy of the LXII Legislature of the Mexican Congress in 2013


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/


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