Ortega is a Spanish surname. 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'', 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 Romanian may refer to: *anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Romania **Romanians, an ethnic group **Romanian language, a Romance language ***Romanian dialects, variants of the Romanian language **Romanian cuisine, traditional ...

'' 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 '' ortiga'' " nettle". The name of the plant is found as a toponym in various places in Spain, such as Ortega ( Burgos), Ortega ( Jaén) or Ortega (

Monfero Monfero is a municipality in the comarca of Eume in the province of A Coruña in the autonomous community of Galicia in northwestern Spain. It has a population of 2,178 inhabitants (INE, 2011). Main sights * The "Fragas" of the River Eume N ...

, A Coruña). Mexican author Gutierre Tibón 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, 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, Spain, during the reign of King

Philip II of Spain Philip II) in Spain, while in Portugal and his Italian kingdoms he ruled as Philip I ( pt, Filipe I). (21 May 152713 September 1598), also known as Philip the Prudent ( es, Felipe el Prudente), was King of Spain from 1556, King of Portugal from ...

. Other early records are found in

Carrión de los Condes Carrión de los Condes () is a municipality in the province of Palencia, part of the Autonomous Community of Castile and León, Spain. It is 40 kilometers from Palencia, on the French Way of the Way of Saint James. History Carrión de los Condes ...

, Palencia. The name subsequently appears throughout Spain, especially in Castile, Andalusia and Murcia, as well as México and Latin America. According to the ''Diccionario de Heráldica Aragonesa'' by Bizén d'O Río Martínez, there were two

Aragon Aragon ( , ; Spanish and an, Aragón ; ca, Aragó ) is an autonomous community in Spain, coextensive with the medieval Kingdom of Aragon. In northeastern Spain, the Aragonese autonomous community comprises three provinces (from north to sou ...

ese 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 Gallur (population 2,899) is a small town and municipality in the Spanish Autonomical Region of Aragón, province of Zaragoza Zaragoza, also known in English as Saragossa,''Encyclopædia Britannica'"Zaragoza (conventional Saragossa)" is the ca ...

in the 18th century, and in Tauste in the 19th century. The other is attested from 1626 in various locations in Aragón.

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 fleur de lis on a blue background on the left side, and a black wheel on a gold background on the right. The entire shield has a silver 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 with three ostrich feathers and an armored arm holding a sword, above a crown 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 y Monterroso, Valle de Oploca y Santa María de Guadalupe del Peñasco.

People named Ortega

Politicians

Carlos Ortega Carlos Alfonso Ortega Carvajal (born c. 1945) is a former union and political leader in Venezuela. Ortega, then head of Fedepetrol, the oil workers union, was elected leader of the Confederación de Trabajadores de Venezuela (CTV) union federati ...

(born c. 1945), Venezuelan union and political leader * Cynthia Ortega (b. 1956), Dutch politician *

Daniel Ortega José Daniel Ortega Saavedra (; born 11 November 1945) is a Nicaraguans, Nicaraguan revolutionary and politician serving as President of Nicaragua since 2007. Previously he was leader of Nicaragua from 1979 to 1990, first as coordinator of the ...

(born 1945), past and present President of Nicaragua * Humberto Ortega (born 1947), Nicaraguan military leader * Ivonne Ortega (born 1972), governor of Yucatán *

Jesús Ortega Jesús Ortega Martínez (born November 5, 1952 in Aguascalientes) is a Mexican Centre-left politician affiliated with the Party of the Democratic Revolution (PRD) who has served in the lower and upper house of the Mexican Congress. He was ele ...

(born 1952), Mexican left-wing politician * José Francisco Ortega, (1734–1798), soldier and early settler of California *

Juan Ortega y Montañés Don Juan Ortega y Montañés (''also Juan de Ortega Cano Montañez y Patiño'') (July 3, 1627 in Siles, Spain – December 16, 1708 in Mexico City) was a Roman Catholic bishop and colonial administrator in Guatemala and New Spain. He was ...

(1627–1708), Spanish bishop and colonial administrator * Katherine D. Ortega (born 1934), 38th treasurer of the United States * Luisa Ortega Diaz (born c. 1958), Venezuelan lawyer

Artists and entertainers

Anthony Ortega (musician) Anthony Robert "Tony" Ortega (June 7, 1928 – October 30, 2022) was an American jazz clarinetist, saxophonist, and flautist. Early life Ortega was born in Los Angeles. He began to play the saxophone at age 14 and studied the instrument under ...

(born 1928), American jazz musician *

Aniceto Ortega Aniceto de los Dolores Luis Gonzaga Ortega del Villar (17 April 1825 – 17 November 1875) was a Mexican physician, composer, and pianist. Although he had a distinguished career as a physician and surgeon, he is also remembered today for his 1871 ...

(1825-1875), Mexican physician, composer and pianist * Armando Ortega, 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 mixt ...

(born 1980), Spanish artist and writer * Emanuel Ortega, Argentine 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 Frankie Ortega (November 27, 1927 – February 7, 1994) was an American jazz piano player and bandleader with the Frankie Ortega Trio during the 1950s and 1960s. Biography He was born on November 27, 1927 in Alhambra, California, United State ...

, (1927-1994), American pianist, composer, arranger *

Gilberto Hernández Ortega Gilberto Hernández Ortega (21 December 1923 – 23 October 1979) was an artist from the Dominican Republic. He is considered a leading painting, painter of his generation. Early life and education He was born in Baní, Peravia Province, in ...

(1924–1978), a Dominican painter * Jeannie Ortega (born 1986), American actress, dancer and songwriter *

Jenna Ortega Jenna Marie Ortega (born September 27, 2002) is an American actress. She began her career as a child actress, receiving recognition for her role as young Jane in The CW comedy-drama series ''Jane the Virgin'' (2014–2019). Her breakthrough ro ...

(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 (born 1953), Spanish bullfighter * Kenny Ortega (born 1950), American producer, director and choreographer * Lindi Ortega (born 1980), Canadian singer-songwriter *

Leanor Ortega Five Iron Frenzy is an American band formed in Denver, Colorado, in 1995. Best known for playing ska punk music characterized by an offbeat sense of humor and prominent Christian themes, Five Iron was one of the pioneering figures of the Christi ...

, former member of the group Five Iron Frenzy * Manuel Ortega (painter) (1921–2014), Spanish painter * Manuel Ortega (singer) (born 1980), Austrian-Spanish singer *

Micah Ortega Five Iron Frenzy is an American band formed in Denver, Colorado, in 1995. Best known for playing ska punk music characterized by an offbeat sense of humor and prominent Christian themes, Five Iron was one of the pioneering figures of the Christi ...

(born 1976), former guitarist of the group Five Iron Frenzy *

Palito Ortega Ramón Bautista Ortega (; born February 28, 1941) is an Argentine singer and actor, better known as Palito Ortega (). Ortega is an icon of Argentine popular music, and is considered one of the main representatives of the musical style called N ...

(born 1941), Argentinian singer *

Santos Ortega Santos Edward Ortega (June 30, 1899 – April 10, 1976) was an American actor and comedian. He was best known for playing Will Hughes in ''As the World Turns'', taking over from Will Lee, who had played the role from the first episode on April 2, ...

(1899–1976), American actor * Sergio Ortega (composer) (1938–2003), Chilean composer and pianist *

Ysabel Ortega Maria Ysabel Ortega Lapid (born January 25, 1999), professionally known as Ysabel Ortega (), is a Filipino actress, commercial model, singer and dancer. She rose to fame for playing the main antagonist and villain Charlotte "Charlie" Quiñones ...

(born 1999), Filipina actress, dancer, and commercial model

Sportsmen and sportswomen

* Anita Ortega, UCLA basketball player *

Anthony Ortega (baseball) Anthony Yoel Ortega Martínez (born August 24, 1985) is a former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in 2009. Professional career Ortega was signed as an amateur free age ...

, Venezuelan baseball pitcher * Antonio Carlos Ortega, Spanish Olympic handball player * Ariel Ortega (born 1974), Argentinian soccer player * Brian Ortega (born 1991), Mexican-American UFC Fighter *

Buck Ortega Buck Ortega (born November 22, 1981) is a former American football tight end who played in the National Football League. He was signed by the Washington Redskins as an undrafted free agent in 2006. He played college football at the University of ...

(born 1981), American football player * Francisco Ortega (born 1996), Argentinian soccer player * Francisco Ortega (born 1999), Argentinian soccer player *

José Ortega (baseball) José Antonio (Chourio) Ortega (born October 12, 1988) is a Venezuelan former professional baseball pitcher. He has played for the Detroit Tigers in Major League Baseball (MLB). Career 2012: Debut with Tigers Ortega was called up to the Major L ...

(born 1988), Venezuelan baseball pitcher *

José Ortega (boxer) José Ortega Chumilla (born October 2, 1963 in Yecla, Murcia) is a former boxer from Spain, who represented his native country at two consecutive Summer Olympics, starting in 1988. At the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain he was elimina ...

(born 1963), Spanish boxer * José Ortega Cano (born 1953), Spanish bullfighter *

Manuel Ortega Ocaña Manuel Ortega Ocaña (born 7 July 1981 in Jaén) is a Spanish professional road cyclist. He debuted professionally with the Andalucía team in 2006 (then named Andalucía–Paul Versan), with whom he was with until 2009 (then named Andalucía–C ...

(born 1981), Spanish cyclist * Mauricio Ortega (discus thrower) (born 1994), Colombian discus thrower *

Mauricio Ortega (cyclist) Mauricio Alberto Ortega Ramírez (born October 22, 1980, in Salgar) is a Colombian professional road racing cyclist, who last rode for the . Major results ;2002 : 1st Time trial, 2002 Pan American Cycling Championships, Pan American Under-23 R ...

(born 1980), Colombian road cyclist *

Oliver Ortega Oliver Ortega (born October 2, 1996) is a Dominican professional baseball pitcher in the Minnesota Twins organization. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Los Angeles Angels. Professional career Los Angeles Angels Or ...

(born 1996), Dominican Republic professional baseball player *

Orlando Ortega Orlando Ortega Alejo (born 29 July 1991) is a Cuban-born Spanish track and field athlete who competes in the 110 metres hurdles. His personal best for the event is 12.94 seconds and he was the silver medallist at the 2016 Olympics. Career Orte ...

(born 1991), Cuban-born Spanish track and field athlete *

Rafael Ortega (baseball) Rafael Ángel Ortega García (born May 15, 1991) is a Venezuelan professional baseball outfielder in the Texas Rangers organization. He previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Colorado Rockies, Los Angeles Angels, Miami Marl ...

, Venezuelan baseball player *

Roberto Ortega Olmedo Roberto Ortega Olmedo (; born 30 April 1991) is a Spanish professional tennis player. He advanced through the qualifiers of the 2016 Geneva Open to make the main draw defeating Michael Linzer and wild card Johan Nikles. In the main draw he wa ...

(born 1991), Spanish tennis player *

Stefan Ortega Stefan Ortega Moreno (born 6 November 1992) is a German professional Association football, footballer who plays as a Goalkeeper (association football), goalkeeper for Premier League club Manchester City F.C., Manchester City. Early life Stefan ...

(born 1992), German footballer * Víctor Ortega (born 1988), diver from Colombia

Other people

Aurelio Ortega y Placeres Aurelio Ortega y Placeres (1863–1926) was director of the school San Luis Gonzaga in Orizaba, Veracruz, Mexico.Barragán Fabian, José Luis: Caleidoscopio', at Orizaba en red, No. 96853, 17 May 2012, Personal life Ortega was born in Tlaxcala ...

"El Grande" (1863-1926), Mexican educator, founder of school, principal, and publisher * Amancio Ortega Gaona (born 1936), Spanish fashion entrepreneur *

Antonio Ortega (colonel) Antonio Ortega Gutiérrez (17 January 1888 – 15 July 1939) was a Spanish Republican military officer and acting president of Madrid Football Club between 1937 and 1938 during the Spanish Civil War; directly involved in the defense of Madrid. S ...

, Spanish Republican military leader and football club president * Casimiro Gómez Ortega (1741-1818), Spanish physician and botanist *

Gregoria Ortega Gregoria Ortega is a Mexican American activist and religious sister. She is best known for her support of students in an Abilene school walkout and her co-creation of the religious organization for Hispanic sisters and lay women in the Catholic Ch ...

, 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 * José Francisco Ortega (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 (1916–2002), Spanish journalist and publisher *

José Ortega Torres José Ortega Torres (born 1943) is a poet born in Granada, Spain; he is a known author in the Andalusian poetic scene. A contemporary of the '' Novísimos'' poetic movement, his work follows more traditional forms ( rhyme, sonnet), with a marked ...

(born 1943), poet * Joshua Ortega (born 1974), American author and journalist * Liliana Ortega (born 1965), Venezuelan professor, and human rights lawyer and advocate * Lourdes Ortega (born 1968), linguist *

Luis Ortega Álvarez Luis Ignacio Ortega Álvarez (14 January 1953 – 15 April 2015) was a Spanish judge. He served on the Constitutional Court of Spain since January 2011. He was noted as an expert of Spanish public law. Biography Ortega was born in 1953 in ...

(1953–2015), Spanish judge *

Rogelio Ortega (chess player) Rogelio Ortega (28 March 1915 — after 1980) was a Cuban chess player, two-times Cuban Chess Championship winner (1958, 1966). Biography In the 1960s Rogelio Ortega was one of the leading Cuban chess players. He twice won Cuban Chess Championsh ...

(1915-1980), Cuban chess player *

Tony Ortega Anthony "Tony" Ortega is an American journalist and editor who is best known for his daily blog about the Church of Scientology called ''The Underground Bunker''. He was executive editor of ''The Raw Story'' from 2013 until 2015. Previously, ...

, American journalist and blogger *Yoselyn Ortega, Dominican-born American nanny accused in the stabbing Deaths of Lucia and Leo Krim in 2012.

Fictional characters

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

Gael Ortega The following is a list of characters in the American serial drama television series '' 24'', '' 24: Live Another Day'', and '' 24: Legacy'' by season and event. The list first names the actor, followed by the character. Some characters have their ...

, in the TV series ''24'' * Ismael Ortega, in the Marvel Comics series ''District X'' *Ortega, father of the hero in ''

Dragon Warrior III ''Dragon Quest III: The Seeds of Salvation'', titled ''Dragon Warrior III'' when initially localized to North America, is a 1988 role-playing video game developed by Chunsoft and published by Enix. It is the third installment in the ''Dragon Que ...

'' *

Ortega (Castlevania) ''Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness'' is an action-adventure platforming video game, that was developed and published by Konami for the Nintendo 64. It was released in 1999 and is a prequel and expanded version of ''Castlevania'', also released o ...

, a character from the Nintendo 64 video game ''Castlevania'' *Victor Ortega, a character from the Sega/Super NES video game '' Saturday Night Slam Masters'' *The henchman in '' The Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living and Became Mixed-Up Zombies'' who would later become a recurring guest character in ''

Mystery Science Theater 3000 ''Mystery Science Theater 3000'' (abbreviated as ''MST3K'') is an American science fiction comedy film review television series created by Joel Hodgson. The show premiered on KTMA-TV (now WUCW) in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on November 24, 1988. ...

'' *Ortega Peru, a character from

Mr. Magoo (film) ''Mr. Magoo'' is a 1997 American comedy film directed by Hong Kong film veteran Stanley Tong (his sole English language film) and written by Pat Proft and Tom Sherohman. A live-action/animated film adaptation of UPA's cartoon of the same name, ...

(1997) *Captain Ortega, in the TV series ''

The Snorks ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

'' *Serge Ortega, in the Well of Souls novel series by Jack L. Chalker *Susan Ortega, anchorwoman in the movie

Bruce Almighty ''Bruce Almighty'' is a 2003 American fantasy comedy film directed by Tom Shadyac and written by Steve Koren, Mark O'Keefe and Steve Oedekerk. The film stars Jim Carrey as Bruce Nolan, a down-on-his-luck television reporter who complains to God ...

*The Ortegas, Neverborn hunters led by Perdita Ortega in the tabletop game Malifaux *

Paz Ortega Andrade The ''Metal Gear'' franchise features a large number of characters created by Hideo Kojima and designed by Yoji Shinkawa. Its setting features several soldiers with supernatural powers provided by the new advancements of science. The series ini ...

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