Orellana History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Spain

Distinguished surnames, such as Orellana, evoke images of the ancient homeland of the Spanish people. The original bearer of the name Orellana, which is a local surname, once lived, held land, or was born in the beautiful region of Spain. In Spain, hereditary surnames were adopted according to fairly general rules and during the late Middle Ages, names that were derived from localities became increasingly widespread. Local names originally denoted the proprietorship of the village or estate. Many Spanish local names reflected Arabic words or place-names, because the Muslim Moors from the 8th to 12th centuries conquered Spain. The Orellana family originally lived in Navarre. The surname Orellana originally derived from Aurelianus which referred to the farm or estate of Aurelius.

Early Origins of the Orellana family

The surname Orellana was first found in Navarre, one of the medieval Christian kingdoms of northern Spain.

Early History of the Orellana family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Orellana research. Another 270 words (19 lines of text) covering the years 1110, 1516 and 1646 are included under the topic Early Orellana History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Orellana Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Arellano, de Arellano, Arellana, de Arellana, Arellanes, Orellano, de Orellano, Orellana, de Orellana and many more.

Early Notables of the Orellana family

Notable bearers of the family name Orellana

were seventeenth century Spanish nobleman Rodrigo-Francisco de Orellana, created Marquis of Orellana in 1646
nineteenth century Spanish poet, novelist and historian Francisco José Orellana

Orellana Ranking

In the United States, the name Orellana is the 4,109^th most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. 1

Orellana migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Orellana Settlers in United States in the 16th Century

Juan de Orellana, who sailed to America in 1517
Diego de Orellana, who sailed to America in 1527
Rodrigo de Orellana, who sailed to Colombia in 1536
Juan de Orellana, who sailed to Peru in 1537
Francisco Orellana, who accompanied Gonzalo Pizarro on his expedition to Peru, and was one of the founders of the city of Guayaquil, Ecuador. Orellana then set off to seek spices in 1540-41, a search that would lead him inland to the source of the Amazon River. His quest then became the fabled land of El Dorado, a mythical place where gold and precious stones were said to be found in fabulous abundance. After eight difficult months of navigation along the Amazon, Orellano reached the Atlantic Ocean. The territories he claimed eventually reverted to Brazil, but his valor and courage stand out among the tales of Spanish conquistadors
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Orellana Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Juan De Orellana, who arrived in America in 1817 2
Diego De Orellana, who arrived in America in 1827 2
Francisco De Orellana, who landed in Peru in 1853 2

Contemporary Notables of the name Orellana (post 1700) +

Rosario García Orellana (1905-1997), Cuban-American coloratura soprano
Gaston Orellana (b. 1933), Spanish painter
Kepler Orellana (b. 1977), Venezuelan retired professional tennis player
Ricardo José Orellana Rojas (b. 1987), Salvadoran footballer
Fabián Ariel Orellana Valenzuela (b. 1986), Chilean footballer
Carlos Orellana (1900-1960), Mexican actor, film director and screenwriter
Marlon Guillermo Lara Orellana (b. 1966), Liberal Party politician from Honduras
Hugo Orellana Bonilla (1932-2007), Peruvian painter from Ataura, a district of Jauja, Peru, recipient of Doctor Honoris Causa from Los Andes Peruvian University

Citations +

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