Browse Surnames

This is a list of surnames in which the usage is South American; and the pattern is *a.

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Abarca Spanish
From the name of a type of leather-soled shoe or sandal made on the Balearic Islands. It originally indicated a person who made or sold this item.

Acosta Spanish
Spanish form of Da Costa (from a misdivision of the surname).

Agua Spanish
Means "water" in Spanish, indicating a person who lived near water or worked with water.

Aguilera Spanish
From a place name that was derived from Spanish aguilera meaning "eagle's nest". A famous bearer is American singer Christina Aguilera (1980-).

Aiza Spanish, Basque
From Basque aitz meaning "rock, stone".

Alamilla Spanish
From Spanish alamillo meaning "poplar, aspen".

Alba Spanish
From a Spanish nickname meaning "white".

Almeida Portuguese
Designated a person who had originally lived in the town of Almeida in Portugal. The place name is from Arabic ال مائدة (al māʾida) meaning "the plateau, the table".

Anaya Spanish
From the names of a few Spanish towns, possibly of Arabic origin meaning "stagnant water" or "path".

Araya Spanish
Denoted a person from Araia in the Basque Country, Spain. It is of uncertain meaning.

Arechavaleta Spanish
Originally indicated a person from the town of Aretxabaleta in Spain. It means "oak trees" in Basque.

Aritza Spanish, Basque
From Basque aritz meaning "oak tree". This was a nickname of Iñigo, the first king of Pamplona, Spain (9th century).

Arreola Spanish
Variant of Arriola, found predominantly in Mexico.

Arriola Spanish, Basque
From Basque place names, themselves derived from Basque arri "stone" and -ola "place of, house".

Ávila Spanish
From the name of the city of Ávila in Spain. It is of uncertain meaning, possibly of Punic or Celtic origin.

Ayala Spanish
From the name of the town of Ayala (called Aiara in Basque) in Álava, Spain. It might be derived from Basque aiher "slope" or alha "pasture".

Barrera Spanish
Spanish cognate of Barr.

Bautista Spanish
Derived from the given name Bautista.

Borja Spanish
Originally indicated a person from the Spanish town of Borja in Aragon, derived from Arabic برْج (burj) meaning "tower".

Cabrera Spanish
From various place names derived from Late Latin capraria meaning "place of goats", from Latin capra meaning "goat".

Campana Italian, Spanish
Occupational name from Late Latin campana meaning "bell", ultimately derived from the Italian region of Campania, where bells were produced.

Capela Portuguese
Portuguese form of Kappel.

Capilla Spanish
Spanish form of Kappel.

Carmona Spanish
From the name of the city of Carmona in Andalusia, Spain. It is possibly derived from Phoenician 𐤒𐤓𐤕 𐤇𐤌𐤍 (Qart Ḥamun) meaning "city of Hammon" (the name of a Carthaginian god, see Ba'al Hammon).

Castañeda Spanish
Habitational name from any of various places called Castañeda, from a Spanish word meaning "chesnut grove", itself derived from castaña meaning "chesnut".

Castilla Spanish
Originally indicated a person from Castile, a region (and medieval kingdom) in Spain. The name of the region is derived from Late Latin castellum meaning "castle".

Chavarría Spanish
Variant of Echeverría.

Correa Spanish
Spanish form of Correia.

Correia Portuguese
Means "leather strap, belt" in Portuguese, denoting a person who worked with leather products.

Costa Portuguese, Italian, Catalan
Means "riverbank, slope, coast" in Portuguese, Italian and Catalan, ultimately from Latin meaning "side, edge".

Cuesta Spanish
Spanish form of Costa.

Cunha Portuguese
From any of the numerous places in Portugal called Cunha, possibly from Portuguese cunha meaning "wedge".

Da Costa Portuguese
Variant of Costa.

Da Gama Portuguese
Variant of Gama. This name was borne by the Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama (c. 1460-1524).

Echevarría Spanish
Variant of Echeverría.

Echeverría Spanish
Derived from the Basque place name Etxeberria, which itself is derived from Basque etxe "house" and berri "new".

Escamilla Spanish
Derived from the name of the town of Escamilla in Gualadajara, Spain.

Escárcega Spanish
Derived from the Basque place name Eskarzaga, which itself is derived from Basque hazkar "maple".

Escarrà Spanish
Possibly from Catalan esquerrá meaning "left-handed".

Esparza Spanish
Derived from the Basque place name Espartza, a town in the province of Navarre.

Espina Spanish
Means "thorn" in Spanish, a name for someone who lived near a thorn bush.

Espinosa Spanish
From Spanish espinoso meaning "thorny", ultimately from Latin spinosus, a derivative of spina meaning "thorn, spine". This was the real surname of the Dutch philosopher Baruch Spinoza (1632-1677), who was of Portuguese Jewish origin.

Espinoza Spanish
Variant of Espinosa.

Estrada Spanish
Spanish form of Street.

Evangelista Italian, Portuguese, Spanish
Means "evangelist" in Italian, Portuguese and Spanish.

Ferreira Portuguese, Galician
Denoted a person from a town named because it was near an iron mine, from Latin ferrum meaning "iron".

Ferreyra Portuguese, Galician
Variant of Ferreira.

Figueroa Spanish
From places named for Galician figueira meaning "fig tree".

Fonseca Spanish, Portuguese
Originally belonged to a person who lived near a dry spring, from Latin fons "well, spring" and siccus "dry".

Fontana Italian, Spanish
Italian and Spanish cognate of Fontaine.

Gama Portuguese
Probably from a place name derived from Portuguese gama meaning "fallow deer doe", from Latin gammus.

García Spanish
From a medieval given name of unknown meaning, possibly related to the Basque word hartz meaning "bear". This is the most common surname in Spain.

Garcia Portuguese, Spanish
Portuguese form of García. It is also an unaccented form of the Spanish name used commonly in America and the Philippines.

Garza Spanish
Derived from Spanish garza meaning "heron".

Gouveia Portuguese
From the name of the city of Gouveia in Portugal, of unknown meaning.

Guadarrama Spanish
Derived from the name of the town of Guadarrama near Madrid.

Guerra Italian, Spanish, Portuguese
From a nickname meaning "war", given to a belligerent person or one engaged in warfare.

Guevara Spanish
Hispanicized form of Gebara. A notable bearer was Argentine revolutionary Che Guevara (1928-1967).

Herrera Spanish
Spanish form of Ferreira.

Huerta Spanish
Means "garden, orchard" in Spanish, ultimately from Latin hortus.

Ibarra Basque, Spanish
From Basque place names derived from ibar meaning "meadow".

Lara Spanish
From the name of a village in Burgos, Spain. It might be derived from Latin lar "household god, house, home".

Losa Spanish
From Spanish losa meaning "tile, slab".

Loyola Spanish, Basque
From the name of a place name near the town of Azpeitia in the Basque Country of Spain, derived from Basque loi meaning "mud". This was the birthplace of Saint Ignatius of Loyola (1491-1556), the founder of Jesuits.

Luna Spanish
From various places in Spain meaning "moon".

Madeira Portuguese
Occupational name for a carpenter, from Portuguese madeira "wood".

Maradona Spanish
From the name of a place near Lugo in northern Spain. A notable bearer is the former Argentinian soccer star Diego Maradona (1960-2020).

María Spanish
From the given the name María.

Maria Italian, Portuguese
From the given the name Maria.

Mata Spanish, Portuguese, Catalan
From Spanish, Portuguese and Catalan mata meaning "trees, shrubs", possibly from Late Latin matta meaning "reed mat".

Medina Spanish
Means "(Arab) city" in Spanish, derived from Arabic مدينة (madīna).

Mejía Spanish
Possibly from a nickname derived from Spanish Mesías meaning "Messiah", from Latin Messias, ultimately from Biblical Hebrew מָשִׁיחַ (mashiyaḥ) meaning "anointed".

Mendoza Spanish, Basque
From a Basque place name derived from mendi "mountain" and hotz "cold".

Miranda Spanish, Portuguese
Habitational name from any of the numerous places in Spain and Portugal bearing this name, possibly derived from Latin mirandus "admirable, wonderful". A notable bearer was the Portuguese-born Brazilian singer and actress Carmen Miranda (1909-1955).

Molina Spanish
Means "mill" in Spanish.

Montaña Spanish
Spanish cognate of Montagna.

Montoya Spanish
From the name of a village in the province of Álava in Spain. It is possibly of Basque origin, or possibly from Latin mons "mountain, hill".

Mora Spanish
Derived from Spanish mora meaning "mulberry", of Latin origin.

Moreira Portuguese
Derived from Portuguese amoreira meaning "mulberry tree".

Moya Spanish
From any of various towns named Moya in Spain, of uncertain meaning.

Nogueira Portuguese, Galician
From Portuguese and Galician nogueira meaning "walnut tree", from the Late Latin nucarius, ultimately from Latin nux meaning "nut".

Noguera Spanish, Catalan
Spanish and Catalan form of Nogueira.

Ochoa Spanish
Spanish form of Otxoa.

Ojeda Spanish
From the name of the Ojeda river in Soria, Spain, possibly derived from Latin folia "leaves".

Oliveira Portuguese
Means "olive tree" in Portuguese, ultimately from Latin oliva. It indicated a person who lived near or worked with olive trees.

Orellana Spanish
Originally indicated a person from one of the two towns named Orellana in Badajoz, Spain. Their names are probably derived from Latin Aureliana meaning "of Aurelius".

Ortega Spanish
From a Spanish place name (belonging to various villages) derived from ortiga "nettle".

Padilla Spanish
From various Spanish place names, derived from Spanish padilla, Latin patella meaning "shallow dish", used to indicate a depression in the landscape.

Palencia Spanish
Habitational name from the city or region of Palencia in northern Spain.

Pantoja Spanish
Originally indicated a person from the town of Pantoja, in Toledo, Spain.

Parra Spanish
Means "vine, trellis" in Spanish.

Pavía Spanish
Spanish form of Pavia.

Peña Spanish
Originally denoted a person who lived near a jutting rock, from Spanish peña meaning "rock, cliff".

Pereira Portuguese, Galician
From Portuguese and Galician pereira meaning "pear tree", ultimately from Latin pirum meaning "pear".

Pereyra Portuguese, Galician
Variant of Pereira.

Pineda Spanish, Catalan
Means "pine forest" in Spanish and Catalan.

Plaza Spanish
Spanish cognate of Piazza.

Puerta Spanish
Means "door, gate", a topographic name for a person who lived near the gates of the town.

Quesada Spanish
Habitational name from Quesada, a place in Jaén in southern Spain. The place name is of uncertain derivation; it could be connected to Old Spanish requexada meaning "corner, tight spot".

Quijada Spanish
Means "jaw" in Spanish, a nickname for someone with a large jaw.

Quintana Spanish, Catalan
Originally indicated someone who lived on a piece of land where the rent was a fifth of its produce, from Spanish and Catalan quintana "fifth", from Latin quintus.

Quixada Spanish (Archaic)
Old spelling of Quijada.

Rana Italian, Spanish
Means "frog" in Italian and Spanish.

Rivera Spanish
From Spanish ribera meaning "bank, shore", from Latin riparius.

Roca Spanish, Catalan, Occitan
Spanish, Catalan and Occitan cognate of Roach.

Rocha Portuguese, Galician
Portuguese and Galician cognate of Roach.

Rueda Spanish
Spanish cognate of Royer.

Sala Italian, Spanish, Catalan, Portuguese, Romanian
Occupational name for a worker at a manor house, from the Romance word sala meaning "hall, large room", of Germanic origin.

Salamanca Spanish
Originally indicated a person from Salamanca, a city in western Spain that is of unknown meaning.

Santana Spanish, Portuguese
From any of the numerous places named after Saint Anna. A famous bearer is the Mexican-American musician Carlos Santana (1947-).

Segura Spanish, Catalan
From places with names derived from Spanish or Catalan segura meaning "safe, secure".

Sepúlveda Spanish
Derived from the name of the Sepúlveda Valley in the mountains of Segovia, and was originally used to denote people from that region. It is possibly derived from Spanish sepultar "to bury".

Serra Italian, Portuguese, Catalan
Italian, Portuguese and Catalan cognate of Sierra.

Sierra Spanish
Originally indicated a dweller on a hill range or ridge, from Spanish sierra "mountain range", derived from Latin serra "saw".

Silva Portuguese, Spanish
From Spanish or Portuguese silva meaning "forest". This is the most common surname in Portugal and Brazil.

Silveira Portuguese
Means "forests" in Portuguese.

Sosa Spanish
Spanish form of Sousa.

Sousa Portuguese
Originally indicated someone who lived near the River Sousa in Portugal, possibly derived from Latin salsus "salty" or saxa "rocks".

Souza Portuguese
Variant of Sousa.

Tapia Spanish
Means "mud wall" in Spanish.

Teixeira Portuguese
From Portuguese teixo meaning "yew tree".

Ureña Spanish
Probably derived from the name of Urueña, a town in the province of Valladolid, Spain, which is of unknown meaning.

Valencia Spanish
From the name of the Spanish city of Valencia.

Varela Spanish
Derived from Spanish vara "stick". It may have originally been given to one who used a stick in his line of work, for example an animal herder.

Vega Spanish
From Spanish vega meaning "meadow, plain", of Basque origin.

Vela Spanish
Occupational name for a guard, from Spanish vela meaning "watch, vigil".

Ventura Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Catalan
From the given name Bonaventura.

Vera Spanish
Means "shore, bank" in Spanish. This was a name for a person who lived near such a feature, or who came from any of the various locations in Spain named Vera or La Vera.

Vieira Portuguese
Denoted a person who came from a Portuguese town by this name, derived from vieria meaning "scallop". The scallop was a symbol of Saint James, and was traditionally worn by pilgrims to the shrine of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia.

Villa Italian, Spanish
Means "town" in Italian and Spanish, from Latin. It was originally given to a person who came from a town, as opposed to the countryside.

Villalba Spanish
Denoted a person from one of the various Spanish places by this name. It is derived from Spanish villa "town" and alba "white".

Villanueva Spanish
Originally denoted someone who came from one of the various Spanish towns by this name, derived from villa "town" and nueva "new".

Ybarra Spanish, Basque
Variant of Ibarra.

Zavala Spanish
Variant of Zabala.

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