The surname Ursua is of an old and noble lineage that originated from Arizcun, in the valley of Baztan in the Basque Kingdom of Navarra, where the Historic " Palacio de Ursua," which served as the household of the Ursuas was situated. Most Basque surnames were taken from the names of family houses. The concept of family, surname and house were interlaced. The house was not seen as simply a property but as an institution with its own life. The name of a place was bound up with a person and people were identified by the names of their houses. It was this reference to a person's place of residence that developed over time to become what we now consider a "surname." This explains why in Baztan the surname were preceded by the word "de" ("of") which signifies that the person belonged to the house. According to testimonies, since the beginning of the Monarchy, the house of Ursua was referred to and acknowledged as being owned by leaders famous for their courage. Over the years, they were recognized as highly dignified, taking part in the important business of the Kingdom and of the Council of the Kings, commanded troops that were maintained on account of their services to the sovereign, and had villas and castles in their honor. Ursua, according to some experts, mean the place of streams (waters) from the word "ur" or agua. From this we can conclude that: Juan de Ursua (Juan of Ursua) =Juan of the house of Ursua =Juan of the house of the place of streams. Yet another interpretation is that it came from the Basque word "usoa" ("paloma" in Spanish), which means pigeon or dove. This interpretation would explain the presence of the three black pigeons (tres palomas negras) in the coat of arms.

Origin of the name Ursua

* Some still say that there is hidden gold in the walls and ceilings of the palace.