Show ContentsBorjas History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The distinguished Spanish surname Borjas is of toponymic origin, being derived from a place where the initial bearer once resided or held land. In this case, the surname Borjas signifies a "native of Borja." The place name Borja is itself derived from the Arabic word "burdz," which means "tower" and is an indication that in the town of Borja there were several towers or a prominent tower.

Early Origins of the Borjas family

The surname Borjas was first found in Zaragoza, in the region of Aragon in Spain. The oldest records of the surname Borjas are references to the family Borja de Zaragoza, whose family seat was in the place called Borja, from where they took their name. The lord of this city was the count Don Pedro de Alares of the twelfth century, who was a lieutenant of the emperor and of king Don Alfonso I of Aragon. He was considered by many to have been the prime source of the lineage.

Early History of the Borjas family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Borjas research. Another 107 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1431, 1441, 1474, 1475, 1492, 1497, 1503, 1505 and 1507 are included under the topic Early Borjas History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Borjas Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Borja, Borgia, Boria, Borjen, Borges, Borjas and others.

Early Notables of the Borjas family

Prominent among bearers of the family name in this era was Juan Castellar y de Borja (1441-1505), a Spanish Roman Catholic bishop and cardinal; Rodrigo Borja (1431-1503), who became Pope Alexander VI. He was an able politician, but he is remembered for his irreligious worldliness; Among his children was...
Another 48 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Borjas Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Borjas migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Borjas Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Pedro Borjas, aged 23, who arrived in New York in 1919 aboard the ship "La Lorraine" from Le Havre, France [1]
  • Pablo Borjas, aged 25, who arrived in New York in 1920 aboard the ship "Saint Paul" from Halifax, England [1]

Contemporary Notables of the name Borjas (post 1700) +

  • Lorena Borjas (1960-2020), Mexican-American transgender and immigrant rights activist; she died from COVID-19
  • George Jesus Borjas (b. 1950), Cuban-born, American economist, Robert W. Scrivner Professor of Economics and Social Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School
  • José P. Borjas, American politician, U.S. Vice Consul in Santiago, 1884
  • Robert Carmona- Borjas, Venezuelan lawyer, academic and writer
  • Melissa Borjas (b. 1986), Honduran football referee
  • René Borjas (1897-1931), Uruguayan gold medalist footballer at the 1928 Summer Olympics


  1. Ellis Island Search retrieved 15th November 2022. Retrieved from https://heritage.statueofliberty.org/passenger-result


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