Ortega is a

Spanish surname Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Cana ...

. A baptismal record in 1570 records a ''de Ortega'' "from the village of Ortega". There were several villages of this name in Spain. The toponym derives from Latin ''

urtica ''Urtica'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Urticaceae. Many species have stinging hairs and may be called nettles or stinging nettles, although the latter name applies particularly to '' Urtica dioica''. ''Urtica'' species are food ...

'', meaning "nettle". Some of the Ortega spelling variants are Ortega, Ortego, de Ortega, Ortegada, Ortegal, Hortega, Ortiga, Ortigueda, Ortigueira, Ortigosa, Orreaga, etc. A cognate surname in Italian is ''Ortica'', in Romanian '' Urzică'', in French ''Ortie'', all from Latin ''urtica''.

Origin

Roberto Faure, coauthor of the ''Diccionario de Apellidos Españoles'', states that Ortega is derived from the noun ''ortega'', a spelling variant of the modern

Castilian Spanish In English, Castilian Spanish can mean the variety of Peninsular Spanish spoken in northern and central Spain, the standard form of Spanish, or Spanish from Spain in general. In Spanish, the term (Castilian) can either refer to the Spanish langu ...

'' ortiga'' "

nettle {{redirect, Nettle Nettle refers to plants with stinging hairs, particularly those of the genus '' Urtica''. It can also refer to plants which resemble ''Urtica'' species in appearance but do not have stinging hairs. Plants called "nettle" includ ...

". The name of the plant is found as a toponym in various places in Spain, such as Ortega (

Burgos Burgos () is a city in Spain located in the autonomous community of Castile and León. It is the capital and most populated municipality of the province of Burgos. Burgos is situated in the north of the Iberian Peninsula, on the confluence of ...

), Ortega ( Jaén) or Ortega ( Monfero,

A Coruña A Coruña (; es, La Coruña ; historical English: Corunna or The Groyne) is a city and municipality of Galicia, Spain. A Coruña is the most populated city in Galicia and the second most populated municipality in the autonomous community and s ...

). Mexican author

Gutierre Tibón Gutierre Tibón (16 July 1905 – 15 May 1999) was an Italian-Mexican writer. He wrote widely on issues of cultural identity, mixing ideas from anthropology, linguistics, psychology, philosophy, ethnology, sociology, and political science. Early ...

advanced the alternative theory that the name derives from ''Ortún'', earlier ''Fortún'', from the Latin name ''Fortunius'' with an added suffix "''-eca''".Origen, Vida y Milagros de su Apellido (1946) Diccionario Etimologico Comparado De Nombres Propios De Personas (1986) The ''Dictionary of American Surnames'' additionally states that the name may derive from ''ortega'': "black grouse." The first Bishop of

Almería Almería (, , ) is a city and municipality of Spain, located in Andalusia. It is the capital of the province of the same name. It lies on southeastern Iberia on the Mediterranean Sea. Caliph Abd al-Rahman III founded the city in 955. The city g ...

, Juan de Ortega, died in the early 16th century, while another early occurrence is found in the baptismal record of ''Phelpa de Ortega'', dated 2 March 1570 at Santa Maria Magdalena,

Valladolid Valladolid () is a municipality in Spain and the primary seat of government and de facto capital of the autonomous community of Castile and León. It is also the capital of the province of the same name. It has a population around 300,000 peop ...

, Spain, during the reign of King Philip II of Spain. Other early records are found in Carrión de los Condes,

Palencia Palencia () is a city of Spain located in the autonomous community of Castile and León. It is the capital and most populated municipality of the province of Palencia. Located in the Northwest of the Iberian Peninsula, in the northern half o ...

. The name subsequently appears throughout Spain, especially in Castile,

Andalusia Andalusia (, ; es, Andalucía ) is the southernmost autonomous community in Peninsular Spain. It is the most populous and the second-largest autonomous community in the country. It is officially recognised as a "historical nationality". The t ...

and

Murcia Murcia (, , ) is a city in south-eastern Spain, the capital and most populous city of the autonomous community of the Region of Murcia, and the seventh largest city in the country. It has a population of 460,349 inhabitants in 2021 (about one ...

, as well as

México Mexico ( Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatem ...

and

Latin America Latin America or * french: Amérique Latine, link=no * ht, Amerik Latin, link=no * pt, América Latina, link=no, name=a, sometimes referred to as LatAm is a large cultural region in the Americas where Romance languages — languages derived f ...

. According to the ''Diccionario de Heráldica Aragonesa'' by Bizén d'O Río Martínez, there were two Aragonese lines using the surname, one of which was

infanzon Spanish nobles are persons who possess the legal status of hereditary nobility according to the laws and traditions of the Spanish monarchy and historically also those who held personal nobility as bestowed by one of the three highest orders of ...

. Both lines originated in Cinco Villas and bore coats of arms that were variants of each other. One line is in Gallur in the 18th century, and in

Tauste Tauste ( an, Taust) is a municipality located in the province of Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain. History Sights include the Mudéjar church of Santa María, begun in the late 13th century and finished in the 14th century. It has an octagonal tower, a ...

in the 19th century. The other is attested from 1626 in various locations in

Aragón Aragon ( , ; Spanish and an, Aragón ; ca, Aragó ) is an autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community in Spain, coextensive with the medieval Kingdom of Aragon. In northeastern Spain, the Aragonese autonomous community comprises th ...

Coats of arms

There were three arms-bearing families called Ortega. Their coat of arms were as follows: *In a field of blue, six bands of gold and a red border of gules with 10 saltire crosses of gold. * Divided horizontally, a

gold Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile me ...

fleur de lis The fleur-de-lis, also spelled fleur-de-lys (plural ''fleurs-de-lis'' or ''fleurs-de-lys''), is a lily (in French, and mean 'flower' and 'lily' respectively) that is used as a decorative design or symbol. The fleur-de-lis has been used in the ...

on a

blue Blue is one of the three primary colours in the RYB colour model (traditional colour theory), as well as in the RGB (additive) colour model. It lies between violet and cyan on the spectrum of visible light. The eye perceives blue when ...

background on the left side, and a

black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ...

wheel on a gold background on the right. The entire shield has a

silver Silver is a chemical element with the symbol Ag (from the Latin ', derived from the Proto-Indo-European ''h₂erǵ'': "shiny" or "white") and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it exhibits the highest electrical ...

border decorated with black ermine marks. These Ortegas were found primarily in Aragón at Gallur, Tauste, and originating in the Cinco Villas. * Divided in quarters, with the gold fleur de lis on blue in the upper left and lower right, and the black wheel on gold in upper right and lower left. This shield also has the silver ermine border. The full coat of arms includes a

helmet A helmet is a form of protective gear worn to protect the head. More specifically, a helmet complements the skull in protecting the human brain. Ceremonial or symbolic helmets (e.g., a policeman's helmet in the United Kingdom) without protect ...

with three

ostrich Ostriches are large flightless birds of the genus ''Struthio'' in the order Struthioniformes, part of the infra-class Palaeognathae, a diverse group of flightless birds also known as ratites that includes the emus, rheas, and kiwis. There ...

feathers and an armored arm holding a sword, above a

crown A crown is a traditional form of head adornment, or hat, worn by monarchs as a symbol of their power and dignity. A crown is often, by extension, a symbol of the monarch's government or items endorsed by it. The word itself is used, partic ...

of the Count. These Ortegas came from the Carrión de los Condes in the province of Palencia, moving to Castresana de Losa in the province of Burgos, all in the autonomous community of Castile-Leon, later branching to other autonomous communities in Spain. This coat of arms can be found among the Ortegas in the New World, a line bearing titles of Condes de

Ortigueira Ortigueira is a seaport and municipality in the province of A Coruña the autonomous community of Galicia in northwestern Spain. It belongs to the comarca of Ortegal. It is located on the northern slope of the Serra da Faladoira, the river Me ...

Monterroso Monterroso is a municipality in Lugo province in Galicia in north-west Spain. History Monterroso was the seat of an important '' tenencia'' in medieval Galicia. Among its known tenants were: *Suero Vermúdez (''c''.1100) *Gutierre Vermúdez (1 ...

, Valle de Oploca y Santa María de Guadalupe del Peñasco.

People named Ortega

Politicians

* Carlos Ortega (born c. 1945), Venezuelan union and political leader *

Cynthia Ortega Cynthia Apolonia Ortega-Martijn (born 9 February 1956 in Willemstad, Curaçao) is a former Netherlands, Dutch politician. As a member of the ChristianUnion (ChristenUnie) she was an MP from November 30, 2006, to September 19, 2012. She focused ...

(b. 1956), Dutch politician * Daniel Ortega (born 1945), past and present President of Nicaragua *

Humberto Ortega General Humberto Ortega Saavedra (born January 10, 1947 in Managua) is a Nicaraguan military leader, often self-called leading Latin American revolutionary strategist, and published writer. He was Minister of Defense between the victory of the ...

(born 1947), Nicaraguan military leader *

Ivonne Ortega Ivonne Aracely Ortega Pacheco (born November 27, 1972) is a Mexican politician from Yucatán affiliated with the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), former Governor of Yucatán and current federal deputy to the LXIII Legislature of the Mexic ...

(born 1972), governor of Yucatán * Jesús Ortega (born 1952), Mexican left-wing politician *

José Francisco Ortega José Francisco Ortega (1734 – February 1798) was an indigenous Californio soldier and early settler of Alta California. He joined the military at the age of twenty-one and rose to the rank of sergeant by the time he joined the Portola expedition ...

, (1734–1798), soldier and early settler of California * Juan Ortega y Montañés (1627–1708), Spanish bishop and colonial administrator *

Katherine D. Ortega Katherine Dávalos Ortega (born July 16, 1934) is a former politician who was the 38th Treasurer of the United States. She served from September 26, 1983 to July 1, 1989 under Presidents Ronald Reagan and then George H. W. Bush. Ortega also has ...

(born 1934), 38th treasurer of the United States * Luisa Ortega Diaz (born c. 1958), Venezuelan lawyer

Artists and entertainers

* Anthony Ortega (musician) (born 1928), American jazz musician * Aniceto Ortega (1825-1875), Mexican physician, composer and pianist *

Armando Ortega Armando Manuel Aurelio Ortega Carrillo, known as Maestro Armando Ortega, was a Mexican musician, the Director of Coro de la Escuela Secundaria y de Bachilleres de Orizaba (ESBO). His maternal great-grandfather was the philanthropist Don Manuel ...

, Mexican composer, conductor, singer, painter *

Cris Ortega Cris Ortega (born 1980) is a Spanish painter, writer, and comics artist. Her style is a mixture of realism and manga, a somewhat dark semi-realism. ''Forgotten'', one of her principal works, combines gothic and romantic elements, as well as a mi ...

(born 1980), Spanish artist and writer *

Emanuel Ortega Emanuel Ortega is an Argentines, Argentine pop singer.Fernando Ortega Juan Fernando Ortega Work ID No. 332498534 (born March 2, 1957) is a singer-songwriter in contemporary Christian music. He is noted both for his interpretations of many traditional hymns and songs, such as " Give Me Jesus", "Be Thou My Vision" ...

(born 1957), American singer-songwriter * Frank Ortega, (1927-1994), American pianist, composer, arranger * Gilberto Hernández Ortega (1924–1978), a Dominican painter *

Jeannie Ortega Jeannette "Jeannie" Ortega (born November 19, 1986) is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, actress, writer, and journalist. She made her recording debut in 2006 with the album ''No Place Like BKLYN'' at the age of 19. The album featured the h ...

(born 1986), American actress, dancer and songwriter * Jenna Ortega (born 2002), American actress *

José Gómez Ortega José Gómez Ortega (8 May 1895 – 16 May 1920), commonly known as Joselito (), was a Spanish matador in the early twentieth century. Younger brother of matador de toros Rafael Gómez Ortega ("El Gallo"), Joselito was considered a child pro ...

(1895–1920), Spanish bullfighter *

José Ortega Cano José María Ortega Cano (born 23 December 1953) is a Spanish bullfighter. He was married to Spanish singer Rocío Jurado. They adopted two Colombian people, Colombian children, one boy and one girl. He began his bullfighting career in 1973 in M ...

(born 1953), Spanish bullfighter *

Kenny Ortega Kenneth John Ortega (born April 18, 1950) is an American filmmaker, touring manager, and choreographer. He is known for directing the films '' Newsies'', '' Hocus Pocus'', ''The Cheetah Girls 2'', ''High School Musical'', '' Michael Jackson's T ...

(born 1950), American producer, director and choreographer *

Lindi Ortega Lindi Ortega (born May 28, 1980) is a Canadian country singer-songwriter from Toronto, Ontario, who had lived in Nashville, Tennessee then moved to Western Canada in 2017. She spent nearly a decade as an independent artist in the Toronto music ...

(born 1980), Canadian singer-songwriter * Leanor Ortega, former member of the group Five Iron Frenzy *

Manuel Ortega (painter) Manuel Ortega Pérez de Monforte (9 July 1921 – 14 April 2014) was a Spanish painter, muralist, sculptor, designer, portrait painter, and engraver. He was born in Madrid. Ortega created more than 200 murals and created stained glass in many ...

(1921–2014), Spanish painter *

Manuel Ortega (singer) Manuel Ortega (born Manuel Hanke, Steyregg, 8 April 1980) is an Austrian singer of Spanish origin. Biography The son of a Spanish mother and an Austrian father, Ortega began his career as a singer when he was 10 years old. He sang with the Fl ...

(born 1980), Austrian-Spanish singer * Micah Ortega (born 1976), former guitarist of the group Five Iron Frenzy * Palito Ortega (born 1941), Argentinian singer * Santos Ortega (1899–1976), American actor *

Sergio Ortega (composer) Sergio Ortega Alvarado (February 2, 1938 – September 15, 2003) was a Chilean composer and pianist. Biography Ortega was born in Antofagasta, Chile. He studied composition with Roberto Falabella and with Gustavo Becerra-Schmidt in the Nati ...

(1938–2003), Chilean composer and pianist * Ysabel Ortega (born 1999), Filipina actress, dancer, and commercial model

Sportsmen and sportswomen

Anita Ortega Anita Ortega is an Afro-Puerto Rican former collegiate basketball player at UCLA. She was an All-American. The team went on to defeat the University of Maryland, College Park in 1978 to take the Division I collegiate title (National Champions). In ...

, UCLA basketball player * Anthony Ortega (baseball), Venezuelan baseball pitcher *

Antonio Carlos Ortega Antonio Carlos Ortega Pérez (born 14 July 1971) is a former Spanish handball player who is the current head coach of FC Barcelona. He competed in the 2000 Summer Olympics and in the 2004 Summer Olympics The 2004 Summer Olympics ( el, Θε ...

, Spanish Olympic handball player *

Ariel Ortega Ariel Arnaldo Ortega (born 4 March 1974) is an Argentine former professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder. His nickname is "El Burrito" (''The Little Donkey''), thus he is called "Burrito Ortega". Ariel Ortega first played f ...

(born 1974), Argentinian soccer player *

Brian Ortega Brian Ortega (born February 21, 1991) is an American professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Featherweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). A professional since 2010, Ortega has also competed in the R ...

(born 1991), Mexican-American UFC Fighter * Buck Ortega (born 1981), American football player * Francisco Ortega (born 1996), Argentinian soccer player * Francisco Ortega (born 1999), Argentinian soccer player * José Ortega (baseball) (born 1988), Venezuelan baseball pitcher * José Ortega (boxer) (born 1963), Spanish boxer *

(born 1953), Spanish bullfighter * Manuel Ortega Ocaña (born 1981), Spanish cyclist *

Mauricio Ortega (discus thrower) Mauricio Alexander Ortega Girón (born 4 August 1994 in Apartadó, Antioquia)Biscayart, Eduardo (2013-12-02)Rodriguez and Garcia help Colombia shine at Bolivarian Games IAAF. Retrieved on 2014-03-20. is a Colombian discus thrower. His personal ...

(born 1994), Colombian discus thrower * Mauricio Ortega (cyclist) (born 1980), Colombian road cyclist * Oliver Ortega (born 1996), Dominican Republic professional baseball player * Orlando Ortega (born 1991), Cuban-born Spanish track and field athlete * Rafael Ortega (baseball), Venezuelan baseball player * Roberto Ortega Olmedo (born 1991), Spanish tennis player * Stefan Ortega (born 1992), German footballer *

Víctor Ortega Víctor Hugo Ortega Serna (born January 27, 1988, in Medellín, Antioquia) is a male diver from Colombia, who competed in the 2008 Olympic Games The 2008 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXIX Olympiad () and also known as Be ...

(born 1988), diver from Colombia

Other people

* Aurelio Ortega y Placeres "El Grande" (1863-1926), Mexican educator, founder of school, principal, and publisher *

Amancio Ortega Gaona Amancio Ortega Gaona (; born 28 March 1936) is a Spanish billionaire businessman. He is the founder and former chairman of Inditex fashion group, best known for its chain of Zara (retailer), Zara and Bershka clothing and accessories shops. As ...

(born 1936), Spanish fashion entrepreneur * Antonio Ortega (colonel), Spanish Republican military leader and football club president *

Casimiro Gómez Ortega Casimiro Gómez de Ortega (4 March 1741, in Añover de Tajo, Spain – 30 August 1818, in Madrid, Spain) was a Spanish physician, and botanist who was the First Professor of the Royal Botanical Garden of Madrid. Under Charles III of Spain Gómez ...

(1741-1818), Spanish physician and botanist * Gregoria Ortega, American activist nun *

Jaime Lucas Ortega y Alamino Jaime Lucas Ortega y Alamino (18 October 1936 – 26 July 2019) was a Cuban prelate of the Catholic Church who served as Archbishop of Havana from 1981 to 2016. He was appointed to the College of Cardinals in 1994, the second Cuban to hold tha ...

(born 1938), Archbishop of Havana *

(1734–1798), Spanish soldier and explorer with the 1769 Portola expedition *

José Ortega y Gasset José Ortega y Gasset (; 9 May 1883 – 18 October 1955) was a Spanish philosopher and essayist. He worked during the first half of the 20th century, while Spain oscillated between monarchy, republicanism, and dictatorship. His philosoph ...

(1883–1955), Spanish philosopher *

José Ortega Spottorno José Ortega Spottorno (November 13, 1916 – February 18, 2002) was a Spanish journalist and publisher. Born in Madrid to famous philosopher José Ortega y Gasset and Rosa Spottorno Topete, José Ortega Spottorno was the founder of affordable ...

(1916–2002), Spanish journalist and publisher * José Ortega Torres (born 1943), poet *

Joshua Ortega Joshua Ortega (born 1974) is an American author and journalist best known for his novel ''Frequencies'', as well as his comic book and graphic novel work on entertainment properties such as ''Star Wars'', ''Spider-Man'', ''Batman'', ''Star Trek' ...

(born 1974), American author and journalist *

Liliana Ortega Liliana Ortega (born 1965) is a Venezuelan professor, and human rights lawyer and advocate. Her work as a human rights defender has earned her several awards, including the Ordre national du Mérite. Biography Liliana Ortega Mendoza was born in ...

(born 1965), Venezuelan professor, and human rights lawyer and advocate *

Lourdes Ortega Lourdes Ortega (born 1962) is a Spanish-born American linguist. She is currently a professor of applied linguistics at Georgetown University. Her research focuses on second language acquisition and second language writing. She is noted for her ...

(born 1968), linguist * Luis Ortega Álvarez (1953–2015), Spanish judge * Rogelio Ortega (chess player) (1915-1980), Cuban chess player * Tony Ortega, American journalist and blogger *Yoselyn Ortega, Dominican-born American nanny accused in the stabbing

Deaths of Lucia and Leo Krim Lucia and Leo Krim, aged 6 and 2 respectively, were murdered in the late afternoon of October 25, 2012, at the La Rochelle apartment building on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City. The children's part-time caretaker, Yoselyn Orteg ...

in 2012.

Fictional characters

* Christian "Combo" Ortega in the TV series ''Breaking Bad'' * Gael Ortega, in the TV series ''24'' *

Ismael Ortega Ismael "Izzy" Ortega is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by David Hine and David Yardin and debuted in the series ''District X'', where he was partnered with the X-Man ...

, in the Marvel Comics series ''District X'' *Ortega, father of the hero in '' Dragon Warrior III'' * Ortega (Castlevania), a character from the Nintendo 64 video game ''Castlevania'' *Victor Ortega, a character from the Sega/Super NES video game ''

Saturday Night Slam Masters ''Saturday Night Slam Masters'', known in Japan as , is a 1993 pro wrestling arcade game released for the CP System by Capcom. The game features character designs by manga artist Tetsuo Hara, famous for ''Fist of the North Star''. The game was f ...

'' *The henchman in ''

The Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living and Became Mixed-Up Zombies ''The Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living and Became Mixed-Up Zombies'' (sometimes "!!?" is appended to the title) is a 1964 American monster movie written and directed by Ray Dennis Steckler. Steckler also starred in the film, bille ...

'' who would later become a recurring guest character in '' Mystery Science Theater 3000'' *Ortega Peru, a character from Mr. Magoo (film)(1997) *Captain Ortega, in the TV series '' The Snorks'' *Serge Ortega, in the

Well of Souls The Well of Souls ( ar, بئر الأرواح, Biʾr al-Arwaḥ; sometimes translated Pit of Souls, Cave of Spirits, or Well of Spirits), is a partly natural, partly man-made cave located inside the Foundation Stone ("Noble Rock" in Islam) under ...

novel series by Jack L. Chalker *Susan Ortega, anchorwoman in the movie Bruce Almighty *The Ortegas, Neverborn hunters led by Perdita Ortega in the tabletop game

Malifaux Malifaux is a skirmish-level miniatures wargame manufactured by Wyrd Miniatures involving gang warfare in the ruins of a city. The setting of the game is centered around the city Malifaux, which can be discovered through a breach opening into an ...

* Paz Ortega Andrade, a character from ''Metal Gear Solid'' by Hideo Kojima

References

*Gutierre Tibón: "Origen, Vida y Milagros de su Apellido (1946)," "Diccionario Etimologico Comparado De Nombres Propios De Personas (1986)" *Casa Editora de Genalogia Ibero Americana, A. B. (S. A.) *Roberto Faure: Diccionario de Apellidos Españoles *Bizén d'O Río Martínez: Diccionario de Heráldica Aragonesa *Bernard L. Fontana: "Entrada: The Legacy of Spain and Mexico in the United States" *Rick McCallister and Silvia McCallister-Castillo: Found under Etruscan in "Compilation and translations from French, Italian and Latin (1999)"

External links

Ortega SurnameHistoriesredaragon.comOrtega History in MéxicoPaseo genealógico por la Argentina y Bolivia by Juan Isidro Quesada
(

google books Google Books (previously known as Google Book Search, Google Print, and by its code-name Project Ocean) is a service from Google Inc. that searches the full text of books and magazines that Google has scanned, converted to text using optical ...

)
Ortega y Pérez Gallardo, D. Ricardo
{{surname, Ortega Spanish-language surnames