Baca Family of New Mexico
Encyclopedia
The progenitors of the Baca family of New Mexico
were Cristóbal Baca (Vaca) and his wife Ana Ortiz. Cristóbal was a military captain who arrived in 1600 with his family in order to help reinforce the colony. At the time, he had three grown daughters and a small son. The Bacas had another son while living in New Mexico.
circa
1567. His wife, also from that city, was the daughter of Francisco Pacheco. Their children that came with them from Mexico City
were Juana de Zamora, Isabel de Bohórquez, Maria de Villanueva and Antonio Baca. Of the daughters, Juana married Simón Pérez de Bustillo, Isabel was the wife of Pedro Durán y Chaves, and Maria married Simón de Abendaño.
Antonio Baca was born circa 1600. He was married to Yumar Pérez de Bustillo who was born c.1591. They had three daughters: Gertudris, who married Antonio Jorge; Ana, who married Francisco López de Aragón, and Antonia, who was the wife of Antonio de Albizu. It does not appear that Antonio had any sons to carry on the Baca name. Antonio was executed on 21 July 1643 for treason against the colonial government.
Alonzo Baca was apparently the younger brother of Antonio. Although he took part in the same conspiracy that resulted in his brother's death, Alonzo survived the affair. He may have had at least one son, another Cristóbal Baca. It appears that the Baca surname
may have continued through Alonzo’s progeny.
The Pueblo Revolt
occurred in 1680. Subsequently, many Spanish families fled New Mexico as refugees. When the Spaniards re-conquered New Mexico in 1693, Manuel Baca and his family were among those who returned to Santa Fe
. Manuel was born c. 1653 and was the son of the second Cristóbal Baca. Manuel apparently had at least eight children with his wife Maria de Salazar. After arriving in New Mexico, they soon began living on land in Bernalillo
previously owned by Manuel‘s father.
As mentioned before, Juan de Vaca was the father of Cristóbal Baca. Baptismal records were discovered for three children of a certain Juan Baca and Juana de Zamora. These baptisms took place in the 1560s and 1570s, around the same time that Cristóbal was purported to have been born. Since one of Cristóbal’s daughters was named Juana de Zamora, it is argued that she may have been named after her paternal grandmother and thus this couple are Cristóbal’s parents. It was not unusual for a Spanish child at that time to given the surname, if not the full name, of a grandparent.
It is further argued that a certain Cristóbal Vaca and Mayor Díaz may have been the parents of Juan de Vaca. A baptismal record from 1540 shows this couple as the parents of Baltazar Vaca. This couple could have easily been one generation younger than Juan, and therefore could have also been his parents. For further information about this research, visit the Beyond Origins website.
Ana Ortíz has also been shown to related to the famed explorer Francisco Vásquez de Coronado
and Francisco Enriques, the Duke of Alburquerque
. The problem with this finding is that Francisco Pacheco de Córdova, and assumedly his wife, would have been too young to have been the parents of Ana Ortíz. Pacheco was born in 1573. Ana Ortíz’s daughter Isabel de Bohórquez was born circa 1586. Therefore, Pacheco would have been only 13 years older than the woman who would supposedly have been his granddaughter.
was an ancestor of Juan de Vaca and, consequently, Cristóbal Baca. In 1988, Dr. Eric Beerman reviewed the research that had been done on Cabeza de Vaca, and did not discover any information that this explorer had any direct descendants. However, he did not completely rule out that possibility. Another researcher, George C' de Baca, did extensive research but was unable to find a connection between the New Mexico Baca family and the Cabeza de Vaca family in Spain. However, it is still generally assumed that the Baca surname originated from this noble family.
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
were Cristóbal Baca (Vaca) and his wife Ana Ortiz. Cristóbal was a military captain who arrived in 1600 with his family in order to help reinforce the colony. At the time, he had three grown daughters and a small son. The Bacas had another son while living in New Mexico.
Family History
Cristóbal, the son of Juan de Vaca, was born in Mexico CityMexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
circa
Circa
Circa , usually abbreviated c. or ca. , means "approximately" in the English language, usually referring to a date...
1567. His wife, also from that city, was the daughter of Francisco Pacheco. Their children that came with them from Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
were Juana de Zamora, Isabel de Bohórquez, Maria de Villanueva and Antonio Baca. Of the daughters, Juana married Simón Pérez de Bustillo, Isabel was the wife of Pedro Durán y Chaves, and Maria married Simón de Abendaño.
Antonio Baca was born circa 1600. He was married to Yumar Pérez de Bustillo who was born c.1591. They had three daughters: Gertudris, who married Antonio Jorge; Ana, who married Francisco López de Aragón, and Antonia, who was the wife of Antonio de Albizu. It does not appear that Antonio had any sons to carry on the Baca name. Antonio was executed on 21 July 1643 for treason against the colonial government.
Alonzo Baca was apparently the younger brother of Antonio. Although he took part in the same conspiracy that resulted in his brother's death, Alonzo survived the affair. He may have had at least one son, another Cristóbal Baca. It appears that the Baca surname
Surname
A surname is a name added to a given name and is part of a personal name. In many cases, a surname is a family name. Many dictionaries define "surname" as a synonym of "family name"...
may have continued through Alonzo’s progeny.
The Pueblo Revolt
Pueblo Revolt
The Pueblo Revolt of 1680, or Popé's Rebellion, was an uprising of several pueblos of the Pueblo people against Spanish colonization of the Americas in the province of Santa Fe de Nuevo México.-Background:...
occurred in 1680. Subsequently, many Spanish families fled New Mexico as refugees. When the Spaniards re-conquered New Mexico in 1693, Manuel Baca and his family were among those who returned to Santa Fe
Santa Fe, New Mexico
Santa Fe is the capital of the U.S. state of New Mexico. It is the fourth-largest city in the state and is the seat of . Santa Fe had a population of 67,947 in the 2010 census...
. Manuel was born c. 1653 and was the son of the second Cristóbal Baca. Manuel apparently had at least eight children with his wife Maria de Salazar. After arriving in New Mexico, they soon began living on land in Bernalillo
Bernalillo, New Mexico
Bernalillo is a town in Sandoval County, New Mexico, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the town population was 6,611. It is the county seat of Sandoval County.Bernalillo is part of the Albuquerque Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
previously owned by Manuel‘s father.
The Cabeza de Baca family
The Cabeza de Baca Family is an offshoot of the Baca Family. The progenitor of this family is Luis María Cabeza de Baca. He was born as Luis Maria Baca on 26 October 1754, the oldest son of Juan Antonio Baca and Maria Romero. He had over 20 children by three different wives. The Cabeza de Baca family are often known by the abbreviated surnames of either C. de Baca or de Baca.Continuing research
Recently, researchers discovered documents that may shed light on Cristóbal Baca’s ancestry. It must be noted that these are just promising leads, and should not be taken as absolute proof.As mentioned before, Juan de Vaca was the father of Cristóbal Baca. Baptismal records were discovered for three children of a certain Juan Baca and Juana de Zamora. These baptisms took place in the 1560s and 1570s, around the same time that Cristóbal was purported to have been born. Since one of Cristóbal’s daughters was named Juana de Zamora, it is argued that she may have been named after her paternal grandmother and thus this couple are Cristóbal’s parents. It was not unusual for a Spanish child at that time to given the surname, if not the full name, of a grandparent.
It is further argued that a certain Cristóbal Vaca and Mayor Díaz may have been the parents of Juan de Vaca. A baptismal record from 1540 shows this couple as the parents of Baltazar Vaca. This couple could have easily been one generation younger than Juan, and therefore could have also been his parents. For further information about this research, visit the Beyond Origins website.
Possible origin of the surname
The surname "Baca" is often assumed to be a variation of the name "Cabeza de Vaca." Cabeza de Vaca means "head of a cow" in Spanish. There are two possible origins of this name:- A Spanish shepherd Martin AlhajaMartin AlhajaMartin Alhaja was a Spanish shepherd who aided the Castilian King Alfonso VIII during the Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa in 1212 A.D. Alhaja, who knew the area, placed a cow skull on the road that led to the battlefield. The Spanish Christian King surprised the Moorish army and defeated them...
was given the name by the CastilianKingdom of CastileKingdom of Castile was one of the medieval kingdoms of the Iberian Peninsula. It emerged as a political autonomous entity in the 9th century. It was called County of Castile and was held in vassalage from the Kingdom of León. Its name comes from the host of castles constructed in the region...
King Alfonso VIII. In 1212 Alhaja placed a cow skull on the road that led to the victory of the Spanish king over the MoorsMoorsThe description Moors has referred to several historic and modern populations of the Maghreb region who are predominately of Berber and Arab descent. They came to conquer and rule the Iberian Peninsula for nearly 800 years. At that time they were Muslim, although earlier the people had followed...
at the battle of Navas de Tolosa in AndalusiaAndalusiaAndalusia is the most populous and the second largest in area of the autonomous communities of Spain. The Andalusian autonomous community is officially recognised as a nationality of Spain. The territory is divided into eight provinces: Huelva, Seville, Cádiz, Córdoba, Málaga, Jaén, Granada and...
. He was awarded a coat-of-arms that included cow skulls in its design.
- A Spanish knight by the name of Fernan Ruiz distinguished himself in a victory over the Moors at Córdoba in 1235. For his services, the king added Cabeza de Vaca to Ruiz's name. This name was taken from the area that the knight was born. Research into the Alvar Nuñez Cabeza de Vaca's genealogy indicates that a number of his ancestors and other relatives had the name Fernan Ruiz.
The Ortiz/Pacheco line
Some researchers have discovered an erroneous link between Crístobal Baca’s wife Ana Ortíz and Cristopher Columbus, among others. As noted previously, Ana Ortíz was the daughter of one Francisco Pacheco. At least three separate articles published in genealogical journals have identified this man as Francisco Pacheco de Cordóva. Not only have researchers found that Pacheco de Córdova had an impressive lineage, but so did his wife Juana de la Cueva y Toledo Colón.Ana Ortíz has also been shown to related to the famed explorer Francisco Vásquez de Coronado
Francisco Vásquez de Coronado
Francisco Vásquez de Coronado y Luján was a Spanish conquistador, who visited New Mexico and other parts of what are now the southwestern United States between 1540 and 1542...
and Francisco Enriques, the Duke of Alburquerque
Duke of Alburquerque
For the Portuguese title: see Duke of Albuquerque .For the Spanish title: Duke of Alburquerque may refer to:*Beltrán de la Cueva, 1st Duke of Alburquerque*Francisco Fernández de la Cueva, 2nd Duke of Alburquerque...
. The problem with this finding is that Francisco Pacheco de Córdova, and assumedly his wife, would have been too young to have been the parents of Ana Ortíz. Pacheco was born in 1573. Ana Ortíz’s daughter Isabel de Bohórquez was born circa 1586. Therefore, Pacheco would have been only 13 years older than the woman who would supposedly have been his granddaughter.
Alvar Nuñez Cabeza de Vaca
One assumption is that famed Spanish explorer Alvar Nuñez Cabeza de VacaÁlvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca
Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca was a Spanish explorer of the New World, one of four survivors of the Narváez expedition...
was an ancestor of Juan de Vaca and, consequently, Cristóbal Baca. In 1988, Dr. Eric Beerman reviewed the research that had been done on Cabeza de Vaca, and did not discover any information that this explorer had any direct descendants. However, he did not completely rule out that possibility. Another researcher, George C' de Baca, did extensive research but was unable to find a connection between the New Mexico Baca family and the Cabeza de Vaca family in Spain. However, it is still generally assumed that the Baca surname originated from this noble family.
Family members of note
- Elfego BacaElfego BacaElfego Baca was a gunman, lawman, lawyer, and politician in the closing days of the American wild west. Baca was born in Socorro, New Mexico just before the end of the American Civil War to Francisco and Juana Maria Baca. His family moved to Topeka, Kansas when he was a young child...
, frontier personality - Ezequiel Cabeza De BacaEzequiel Cabeza De BacaEzequiel Cabeza De Baca was the first Hispano elected for office as Lt. Governor in New Mexico's first election. His term as Lt. Gov. was followed by his election as the second elected Governor of New Mexico. This term was brief as he died shortly after taking office...
, former Governor of the State of New MexicoNew MexicoNew Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S... - Jim BacaJim BacaJim Baca is the current Natural Resource Trustee for the state of New Mexico. He has served twice as New Mexico State Land Commissioner , and Director at the Bureau of Land Management in the United States Department of the Interior . He also served one term as the Mayor of Albuquerque , losing his...
, former Albuquerque, New MexicoAlbuquerque, New MexicoAlbuquerque is the largest city in the state of New Mexico, United States. It is the county seat of Bernalillo County and is situated in the central part of the state, straddling the Rio Grande. The city population was 545,852 as of the 2010 Census and ranks as the 32nd-largest city in the U.S. As...
Mayor - Jimmy Santiago BacaJimmy Santiago BacaJimmy Santiago Baca of Apache and Chicano descent is an American poet and writer.- Life and career :...
, Poet - Joe BacaJoe BacaJoseph N. "Joe" Baca is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2003. He is a member of the Democratic Party. The district, numbered as the 42nd from 1999 to 2003, is located in southwestern San Bernardino County and includes Fontana, Rialto, Ontario and parts of the city of San...
, U.S. Representative from CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
- born in Belen, New MexicoBelen, New MexicoBelen is a city in Valencia County, New Mexico, United States. Belen is Spanish for Bethlehem, and over time has gained the nickname "Hub City" because of the Belen Cutoff of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. The Cutoff made it possible for many more trains to travel east and west across... - Joe Baca, Jr.Joe Baca, Jr.Joseph N. "Joe" Baca, Jr. is an American politician served one term as a member of the California State Assembly from the 62nd District from 2004 until 2006. He stepped down to make an unsuccessful run for the State Senate in 2006, losing the primary to Gloria Negrete McLeod. Baca currently serves...
, former California State Assemblyman - Judy BacaJudy BacaJudith Francisca Baca is an American artist, activist, and University of California, Los Angeles professor of fine arts...
, artist - Lee BacaLee BacaLeroy David "Lee" Baca is the Sheriff of Los Angeles County, California. Baca holds a Doctorate of Public Administration from the University of Southern California....
L.A. County Sheriff - Lieutenant General Edward D. Baca, U.S. Army (ret.)
- Polly Baca-Barragan, First Mexican-American to serve in the Colorado Legislature and first Hispanic Woman to serve in leadership in any State Senate in the United States.
- Ray R. Baca, former Albuquerque, New Mexico Chairman of the City Council
Places named after the Baca family
- Baca County, ColoradoBaca County, ColoradoBaca County is the southeasternmost of the 64 counties of the state of Colorado of the United States. The county population was 4,517 at U.S. Census 2000. The county seat is Springfield.- History :...
- Baca Ranch in Colorado
- Baca Ranch in New Mexico
- Baca National Wildlife RefugeBaca National Wildlife RefugeThe Baca National Wildlife Refuge is a United States National Wildlife Refuge located in southern Colorado. It is located on the lands of the Luis Maria Baca Grant No. 4 near Crestone, Colorado in the San Luis Valley in southern Saguache and northern Alamosa counties, about northeast of the town...
in Colorado - Bacaville, New Mexico
- De Baca County, New MexicoDe Baca County, New Mexico-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*87.3% White*0.1% Black*0.6% Native American*0.0% Asian*0.0% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*3.9% Two or more races*8.1% Other races*38.5% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
- Trinidad, ColoradoTrinidad, ColoradoThe historic City of Trinidad is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of Las Animas County, Colorado, United States...
- named after Trinidad Baca - Baca House, Trinidad, ColoradoTrinidad, ColoradoThe historic City of Trinidad is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of Las Animas County, Colorado, United States...
- Baca Mansion, Las Vegas, New MexicoLas Vegas, New MexicoLas Vegas is a city in San Miguel County, New Mexico, United States. Once two separate municipalities both named Las Vegas, west Las Vegas and east Las Vegas , divided by the Gallinas River, retain distinct characters and separate, rival school districts. The population was 14,565 at the 2000...
- Vacaville, CaliforniaVacaville, CaliforniaVacaville, California is a city located in the northeastern portion of the San Francisco Bay Area in Solano County. The city is nearly half way between Sacramento and San Francisco on I-80. It sits approximately from Sacramento, and from San Francisco...
Further reading
- Fray Angélico Chávez, Origins of New Mexico Families: A Genealogy of the Spanish Colonial Period, revised edition. (Santa Fe Museum of New Mexico, 1992), (ISBN 978-0-89013-239-5).
- David H. Snow, New Mexico's first colonists: The 1597-1600 enlistments for New Mexico under Juan de Oñate, Adelante & Gobernador, ISBN 0965246302, ISBN 978-0965246309.