Ortega is a Spanish surname. In the 9th century a Saint Raymundo Ortega of Bejar was recorded to be in Salamanca, Spain. 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 Urzică, in French Ortie, all from Latin urtica.
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, 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". 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. Other early records are found in 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 Aragonese lines using the surname, one of which was infanzon. 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 in the 19th century. The other is attested from 1626 in various locations in Aragón.
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.Carlos Ortega (born c. 1945), Venezuelan union and political leaderCynthia Ortega (b. 1956), Dutch politicianDaniel Ortega (born 1945), past and present President of NicaraguaHumberto Ortega (born 1947), Nicaraguan military leaderIvonne Ortega (born 1972), governor of YucatánJesús Ortega (born 1952), Mexican left-wing politicianJosé Francisco Ortega, (1734–1798), soldier and early settler of CaliforniaJuan Ortega y Montañés (1627–1708), Spanish bishop and colonial administratorKatherine D. Ortega (born 1934), 38th treasurer of the United StatesArtists and entertainers
Ana Ortega (born 1980), New Thought Award winning author, Writer & Life CoachMark Ortega (2001-?), Manager and Record Label President of MJOREREPMaestro Armando Ortega, illustrious Mexican composer, conductor, singer, painterAniceto Ortega (1825-1875), Mexican physician, composer and pianistEmanuel Ortega, Argentine singerFernando Ortega (born 1957), American singer-songwriterFrank Ortega, (1927-1994), American pianist, composer, arrangerGilberto Hernández Ortega (1924–1978), a Dominican painterJeannie Ortega (born 1986), American actress, dancer and songwriterJenna Ortega (born 2002), American child/teenage actressJosé Gómez Ortega (1895–1920), Spanish bullfighterJosé Ortega Cano (born 1953), Spanish bullfighterKenny Ortega (born 1950), American producer, director and choreographerLindi Ortega (born 1980), Canadian singer-songwriterLeanor Ortega, former member of the group Five Iron FrenzyManuel Ortega (born 1980), Austrian-Spanish singerMicah Ortega (born 1976), former guitarist of the group Five Iron FrenzyPalito Ortega (born 1941), Argentinian singerSantos Ortega (1899–1976), American actorSergio Ortega (1938–2003), Chilean composer and pianistSportsmen and sportswomen
Anita Ortega, UCLA basketball playerAriel Ortega (born 1974), Argentinian soccer playerBuck Ortega (born 1981), American football playerJohnny Ortega (1930-2003), Mexican-American boxer, 1949 National AAU Flyweight Gold Gloves championJosé Ortega (born 1963), Spanish boxerMauricio Ortega (born 1980), Colombian road cyclistMauricio Ortega (born 1994), Colombian discus throwerVíctor Ortega (born 1988), male diver from ColombiaAurelio Ortega y Placeres "El Grande" (1863-1926), Mexican Educator, Founder of School, Principal, and PublisherAmancio Ortega Gaona (born 1936), Spanish fashion entrepreneurCasimiro Gómez Ortega (1741-1818), Spanish physician and botanistJaime Lucas Ortega y Alamino (born 1938), Archbishop of HavanaJosé Ortega y Gasset (1883–1955), Spanish philosopherJoshua Ortega (born 1974), American author and journalistLuis Ortega Álvarez (1953–2015), Spanish judgeChristian "Combo" Ortega in the TV series Breaking BadGael Ortega, in the TV series 24Ishmael Ortega, in the Marvel Comics series District XOrtega, father of the hero in Dragon Warrior IIIOrtega (Castlevania), character from the Nintendo 64 video game CastlevaniaVictor Ortega, character from the Sega/Super NES video game Saturday Night Slam MastersThe 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 3000Ortega Peru, character from Mr. Magoo(1997)Captain Ortega, in the TV series The SnorksSerge Ortega, in the Well of Souls novel series by Jack L. ChalkerSusan Ortega, anchorwoman in the movie Bruce AlmightyThe Ortegas, Neverborn hunters led by Perdita Ortega in the tabletop game Malifaux