Show ContentsBorja History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The distinguished Spanish surname Borja is of toponymic origin, being derived from a place where the initial bearer once resided or held land. In this case, the surname Borja 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 Borja family

The surname Borja was first found in Zaragoza, in the region of Aragon in Spain. The oldest records of the surname Borja 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 Borja family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Borja 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 Borja History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Borja Spelling Variations

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

Early Notables of the Borja 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

Borja Ranking

In the United States, the name Borja is the 9,261st most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1


Borja migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Borja Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Juan Batista Borja, aged 30, who arrived in New Orleans, La in 1821 2
  • Mr. Borja, aged 31, who landed in America, in 1893
Borja Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Vincente Borja, aged 44, who immigrated to the United States from Havana, Cuba, in 1908
  • Salvador Borja, aged 29, who immigrated to the United States from Altea, Spain, in 1920
  • Ulpiano Borja, aged 23, who settled in America from Quito, Ecuador, in 1920
  • Angel Borja, aged 31, who landed in America from Belleweguart, Spain, in 1920
  • Jose Borja, aged 22, who immigrated to the United States from Altea, Spain, in 1920
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Borja (post 1700) +

  • Rena K. Borja, American Democratic Party politician, Member, Rules Committee, Democratic National Convention, 2008
  • Wilson Alfonso Borja Díaz (1952-2024), Colombian trade unionist and politician, member of the Alternative Democratic Pole
  • Guillermo Borja (1863-1930), El Salvadoran medical surgeon
  • Filomeno Borja, Colombian poet
  • Álvaro Borja Morata Martín (b. 1992), Spanish professional footballer who plays as a striker, known for EURO 2020 European Qualifiers (2019), UEFA Champions League (1994) and Emigratis (2016)
  • Rodrigo Borja Cevallos (b. 1935), Ecuadorian politician and political scientist, President of Ecuador (1988-1992)
  • César Borja Cordero (1882-1927), Spanish writer
  • Angel Borja Trinidad (b. 1958), Physician in the Philippines
  • Borja Mayoral Moya (b. 1997), Spanish footballer
  • Borja Sánchez Luque (b. 1978), Spanish footballer


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)


Houseofnames.com on Facebook