SpainThe 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.
The surname Loya was first found in the mountainous Basque region in the province of Guipúzcoa.
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.
Spelling variations of this family name include: Loyola, Loiola, Loila, Lola, Lolita, Loya, Loyo and others.
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.
In the United States, the name Loya is the 4,570th most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. [1]
Loya migration to the United States +
