Zurita
A surname of Spanish origin, likely linked to a place-name or a descriptive nickname built on a word for a partridge or similar bird.
The #7,020 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 64,727 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Zurita is a Spanish surname, and historical references point to it as being connected with Spanish naming patterns rather than a non-Iberian source. One old note glosses the word as an adjective meaning a kind of dove or partridge, which suggests an original nickname sense for someone associated with that bird or a place named from it. In practice, the surname may also be locational, from a place called Zurita in Spain, which is a common path for Spanish surnames.
History
The name appears in Spanish historical and literary contexts and is borne by the noted Aragonese historian Jerónimo Zurita (1512–1580). Because both bird-based nickname formation and place-name derivation are plausible in Spanish, older scholars were not always certain which explanation was primary. The surname is now established in Spain and in Spanish-speaking communities abroad, including the United States.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Jerónimo Zurita was one of the most important early historians of Aragon, which helped keep the surname visible in Spanish intellectual history.
From the historical record
“Zumbo. Zumbido. Zurita. Adjetivo, torcaz. FIN DE LA PRIMERA PARTE.”
— Diccionario de los apellidos