Show ContentsOrtego History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The mountainous borders of Spain contain the origins of the prestigious surname Ortego. The earliest forms of hereditary surnames in Spain were the patronymic surnames, which are derived from the father's given name, and metronymic surnames, which are derived from the mother's given name. Spanish patronymic names emerged as early as the mid-9th century and were derived from a variety of given names that were of many different origins.

Early Origins of the Ortego family

The surname Ortego was first found in Castile, in north central Spain. The name is thought to have been derived from the Latin urtica, which menas "nettle". Nettles are native to many places in Spain, especially in Castile, Andalusia and Murcia and in the New World in México and Latin America.

Early History of the Ortego family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Ortego research. Another 198 words (14 lines of text) covering the years 1095, 1492, 1570, 1701, 1702 and 1873 are included under the topic Early Ortego History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ortego Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Ortega, Ortego, de Ortega, Hortega, de Hortega, Ortiga, Ortegal, Ortigal, Ortiguera, Ortigosa and many more.

Early Notables of the Ortego family

More information is included under the topic Early Ortego Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ortego Ranking

In the United States, the name Ortego is the 6,301st most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 1


United States Ortego migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Ortego Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Arturo Ortego, aged 26, who immigrated to America, in 1894
Ortego Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Domingo Ortego, aged 35, who landed in America from Almeria, Spain, in 1907
  • R. Ortego, aged 31, who settled in America, in 1919
  • Rafael Ortego, aged 32, who landed in America, in 1919
  • Felix Ortego, aged 33, who immigrated to the United States, in 1920
  • Jose Ortego, aged 32, who landed in America, in 1923

Contemporary Notables of the name Ortego (post 1700) +

  • Bryant Keith Ortego (1963-2022), American NFL football wide receiver for the Chicago Bears (1985-1987)
  • Stephen Juan Ortego (b. 1984), American politician, Louisiana State Representative (2012-)
  • Manuel Ortego (b. 1952), American professional baseball player
  • Artie Ortego (1890-1960), American actor who appeared in more than 245 films between 1912 and 1955, in most cases either as a cowboy, American Indian or henchman
  • Miguel Ortego (b. 1964), Spanish former field hockey player who competed in the 1988 and 1992 Summer Olympics


  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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