Arrieta
A Basque surname most likely from a place name, with roots in words for stone or rock.
The #6,684 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 61,101 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Arrieta is generally explained as a Basque place-name surname. It is commonly connected with Basque arri, meaning “stone” or “rock,” plus a place-forming suffix, giving the sense of “stony place” or “rocky place.” In surnames, this usually points to someone who came from a place called Arrieta rather than to a personal nickname.
History
The name is especially associated with the Basque Country and nearby Spanish-speaking areas, where many surnames come from villages or local land features. The excerpt supplied here lists Arrieta among other Iberian place-like surnames, which fits that locational pattern. Today it remains a recognizable Basque surname in Spain and in diaspora communities in the Americas.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Several Basque surnames beginning with Arri- point to rock or stone, which is one reason the name has a distinctly geographic feel.
From the historical record
“Arizcun, Arjona, Armada, Armentia, Armesto, Aróstegui, Artazcoz, Arteaga, Arteta, Artieda, Arratia, Arrazola, Arredondo , Arribas , Arrieta, Arríete, Arrióla, Arroniz, Arroyal, Arruego, Ar- rugaeta, Ascárraga, Ascaso, Aso, Astiz , Astorga, Astudillo, Atienza, Auñon, Aurrecoechea, Avedi- 11o, Avendaño, A\'ila…”
— Ensayo histórico etimológico filológico sobre los apellidos castellanos