South American names include those from Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay, and Venezuela.
Submitted names are contributed by users of this website. The accuracy of these name definitions cannot be guaranteed.
Del RosarioSpanish Del Rosario, in Spanish and Italian languages, and do Rosário in Portuguese language (English: of the rosary) is a surname that has as its etymology, the Latin preposition, "de" meaning "of the" and the Latin noun "rosarium", meaning "rosegarden"1 or "garland of roses"2 but in this case, takes the meaning of "rosary", the Roman Catholic devotion to the Virgin Mary... [more]
De PaulaSpanish a Metronymic from the female personal name Paula and from a shortened form of Francisco de Paula a personal name bestowed in honor of Saint Francis of Paola
De SouzaPortuguese Means "of Sousa" in Portuguese, referring to the River Sousa flowing through northern Portugal. The word Sousa itself is derived from the Latin saxa, saxum meaning "stone, rock". The surname is more commonly used in Brazil and Portuguese-speaking African countries today.
De ValeraSpanish Originally indicated a person from one of the two towns named Valera in the provinces of Cuenca and Badajoz in Spain. This name was borne by American-born Irish president and prime minister Éamon de Valera (1882-1975; birth name George de Valero, also known as Edward de Valera), who was born to an Irish mother and a Cuban-Spanish father.
Do NascimentoPortuguese (Brazilian) Variant of Nascimento. This surname was borne by several Brazilian soccer players, including Pelé (1940-2022), Ramires (1987-) and Thiago Alcântara (1991-).
DoradoSpanish From dorado "golden" (from Late Latin deaurare "to gild", from aurum "gold"), probably applied as a nickname to someone with golden hair.
DuqueSpanish, Portuguese Spanish and Portuguese cognitive of Duke. from duque "duke" (from Latin dux genitive ducis "leader") an occupational name for someone who worked in the household of a duke or as a nickname for someone who gave himself airs and graces.
ElizaldeBasque, Spanish From Basque eleiza meaning "church" combined with the suffix -alde "by". This could be either a habitational name for a person who was from the town of Elizalde in Gipuzkoa, Basque Country, or a topographic name for someone living near a church.
EncarnaciónSpanish Means "incarnation" in Spanish. This is given in reference to the Incarnation of Jesus in the womb of the Virgin Mary (see Encarnación).
EnciñiasSpanish Derives from Spanish heritage and culture. Other spellings of the name of ENCIÑIAS may be Encinas, Encinias, Encinitas etc.
EscandónSpanish, Spanish (Mexican) Derived from a field named "Escanda" denoting a type of wheat. Perhaps farmers who lived close to the area.
EscañuelaSpanish This indicates familial origin within the eponymous Andalusian municipality.
EscatelSpanish Derived from the Latin word “scatellum,” which means “small coin”. It is likely that the surname originally referred to someone who was involved in the production or circulation of small coins, or who had a reputation for being particularly frugal or economical... [more]
EscobarSpanish A topographic name from a collective form of escoba, meaning 'broom' (from the late Latin, scopa), or a habitational name from either of two minor places in Santander province called Escobedo.
EscotoSpanish ethnic name from escoto originally denoting a Gaelic speaker from Ireland or Scotland; later a Scot someone from Scotland. Spanish cognitive of Scott.
EscribanoSpanish An occupational name from escribano "scribe" (from Late Latin scriba "scribe" genitive scribanis from Latin scriba genitive scribae).
EscuderoSpanish An occupational name for a squire a young man of good birth attendant on a knight or shield bearer escudero (medieval Latin scutarius a derivative of Latin scutum "shield")... [more]
EsguerraSpanish, Filipino Castilianized form of Basque Ezkerra from ezker meaning "left, left-handed".
EspadaPortuguese, Spanish metonymic occupational name for an armorer or a swordsman from espada "sword" (from Latin spata from Greek spathe originally denoting a broad two-edged sword without a point)... [more]
EsperónSpanish From Spanish espera meaning to wait. Perhaps an occupational name for a waiter.
EspinalSpanish Spanish: from any of numerous fields named Espinal or Espinar, from a collective of espina ‘thorn’.
EspíndolaPortuguese (Latinized, ?) Portuguese of uncertain origin, but possibly a topographic name or a variation of Spinola. It was taken to Portugal by an immigrant family from Genoa, Italy.
Espinosa De Los MonterosSpanish Originating in northern Spain in the Espinosa de los Monteros municipality, it has various meanings. One meaning is that it was the surname of hidalgos who lived in Espinosa and helped the nobles get on their horses... [more]
EspírituSpanish From a short form of Spanish del Espíritu Santo meaning "of the Holy Spirit, of the Holy Ghost" (Latin Spiritus Sanctus), which was the second part of religious compound names formed from the bearer's given name and del Espíritu Santo... [more]
EsteruelasSpanish Possibly from the place name Camarma de Esteruelas, a village in Madrid.
EstesWelsh, Spanish, English a popular surname derived from the House of Este. It is also said to derive from Old English and have the meaning "of the East." As a surname, it has been traced to southern England in the region of Kent, as early as the mid-16th century.
FalcónSpanish, South American Originally a nickname from falcón, an archaic variant of Spanish halcón "falcon" (from Latin falco). It is a cognate of Falco.
FerrandoItalian, Spanish This surname can be derived from a given name (thus making it a patronymic surname) as well as from a nickname (thus making it a descriptive surname). In the case of a patronymic surname, the surname is derived from the medieval masculine given name Ferrando, which was in use in both Italy and Spain during the Middle Ages... [more]
FigueiraPortuguese, Galician Means "fig tree" in Portuguese and Galician, ultimately from Latin ficaria. It was used a topographic name for someone who lived or worked near fig trees or for someone from any of various places called Figueira (derived from the same word).
FigueiredoPortuguese Name for someone from any of various places named Figueiredo, from Portuguese figueiredo meaning "fig tree orchard".
FontCatalan, Occitan, Spanish, French topographic name for someone living near a spring or well Catalan and Occitan font "spring well" (from Latin fons genitive fontis).
FragaPortuguese Fraga, also derived from the Spanish variation of the word frescas meaning "strawberries", in the Portugal it translates to "from the cliffs or cliffside"
FragosoPortuguese, Spanish Means "rocky, rough, uneven" in Portuguese and Spanish, ultimately from Latin fragosus. It was originally a habitational name from any of various places called Fragoso.
FraireSpanish Comes from Latin frater meaning "brother".
GaitánSpanish Originated from the Spanish word "gato," which means "cat." It is thought that the name may have been used to describe someone who had cat-like qualities, such as being agile or quick on their feet.
GaleaSpanish, Italian, Maltese From Spanish galea "galleon, warship" presumably a metonymic occupational name for a shipwright or a sailor. Italian habitational name from Galea in Calabria.
GarmendiaBasque, Spanish Garmendia is the surname of a family of the Basque Country region of Guipuzcoa, in Spain. The surname means "wheat mountain" in Basque from gar meaning "wheat" and mendi meaning "mountain"... [more]
GarnicaSpanish The surname is of local origin, derived from the name of the place where a man once lived or held land. In this instance the surname, Garnica, is derived from the place-name Guernica. Thus, the name Garnica signifies "one who hails from Guernica".