Hello anaiak(brothers) eta(and) arrebak(sisters) I am also and Arzuaga, born in Ponce Puerto Rico. There are two provinces where Arzuaga's were settled in Euskal Herria (Basque Country) Bizcaia and Guipuzcoa. In Bikaia there is a town called Altsuaga but is know as Arzuaga. In the the other region there is a town called Villareal Urretxu, also close by are towns of Aspetia, Tolosa and Urrestilla. They are all very close in proximity, and from what my contact tells me is that this is the original place where the Arzuaga name comes from. Granted that the house of Arzuaga scattered to Biskaia and towns were formed there. The name Arzuaga, from what I have looked and have been told means "from the place of the thistle bush" I have also read that it means from the place of the rocks, or rock watcher... I am not sure which one is the correct one, but its a start...

Now there is another variation of the Arzuaga. This other one is Ar"S"uaga (Arsuaga). Now, from what I have been told from people in the region is that the two are separate from each other and have nothing to do with the lineage. The other story is of course that it is a spelling variation and/or misspelling that has happened throughout the years.
On another note. I am looking for my ancestry line. The last person I have is Sebastian Arzuaga who was born in San Lorenzo Puerto Rico. He must have been born in the mid 1800's because his son Natalio Arzuaga was born in 1878 also in San Lorenzo. My grandfather Arnold who was born in 1908 had 4 brother Aida, Aristides, Ana y Asuncion (Know as Doris) they were born in the early 1900's

I know the Basque people that came in the mid 1800's came to Puerto Rico and Cuba to work in the sugar plantations, some of them came also as sheep goat herders etc. If anyone has any more information on that particular time period, ship names, northeastern Spain Ports (Donostia SanSebastian Guipuzcoa, Bilbao, Portugalete Biskaia) please contact me at alexis_arzuaga@hotmai.com, arzuaga_alexis@yahoo.com
Eskerrik asko anaiak (thank you very much brothers)