Bengoetxea

Red dots indicate where the last name can be found

Bengoetxea (Basque modern spelling), Bengoechea (or Vengoechea, Spanish spellings) or Bengoetchea (French spelling) is a Basque surname which is common all throughout the Basque Country, specially in cities such as: Murelaga, Lizarza, Alkitza, Aizarna, Aulestia, Igeldo (Donostia, San Sebastian), Oiartzun, Aia, Olaberria, Lazkano, Berrobi (Tolosa) and Zizurkil in Gipuzkoa; Valley of Orozko, Mungia, Zeberio, Mundaka and Galdakao in Biscay; and in Arrieta and Baranbio (Amurrio) in Alava.

Meaning

Derivative of Bengoetxea or Bengoetxe, the name literally means down-more-of-house-the (be-en-go-etxe-a), translated into English as "the house of further down" and translated into Spanish as "la casa de más abajo". It comes from "been" superlative of "be" (inferior part) and "etxe" (house). The Bengoechea coat of arms is: in gold, a tree of sinople (green), and crossed to its trunk, two bulls of sable (black).

Notable Bengoecheas

• Arturo Bengochea, former President of the Cuban League of Professional Baseball
• Eduardo Bengoechea, Argentine tennis player
• Fernando Bengoechea, Argentine photographer
• Javier de Bengoechea, Basque poet
• Jose Antonio Urrutikoetxea Bengoetxea, Basque member of ETA
• Juan Zaragüeta Bengoechea - philosopher and psychologist born in Orio (Guipúzcoa) in 1883
• María Verónica Bengoechea, Argentine hockey player
• Doctora Mercedes Bengoechea, Senior lecturer in Sociolinguistics, University of Alcalá. Awarded the Distinguished Cross First Class of the Order of San Raimundo de Peñafort by the Minister of Justice. June 24, 2011.
• Oinatz Bengoetxea, Bengoetxea VI (born in 1984), Basque pelota champion in 2008
• Pablo Bengoechea, Uruguayan footballer
• Zenón de Somodevilla y Bengoechea, Marquis of Ensenada, Spanish statesman
• The Bengoechea Hotel

References

• Bubers Basque Surnames (Bengoechea)
• surnames.org (Spanish)