ABARCA SpanishFrom 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.
ABASCAL SpanishMeans
"priest's street" from Basque
abas "priest" and
kale "street".
AGUA SpanishMeans
"water" in Spanish, indicating a person who lived near water or worked with water.
AGUADO SpanishDerived from Spanish
agua "water", indicating a person who lived near water or worked with water.
AGUILAR SpanishFrom a place name that was derived from Spanish
águila meaning
"eagle", ultimately from Latin
aquila.
ALFARO SpanishOriginally denoted someone who was from the city of Alfaro in La Rioja, Spain. It is possibly derived from Arabic meaning "the watchtower".
ALVARADO SpanishFrom a Spanish place name, possibly derived from Spanish
alba "white".
AQUINO Italian, SpanishFrom the name of an Italian town near Rome, derived from Latin
aqua meaning "water", the home town of the 13th-century saint Thomas Aquinas. In Italy the surname is derived directly from the town's name. As a Spanish-language surname, it was sometimes bestowed by missionaries in honour of the saint as they evangelized in Spanish colonies.
ARAYA SpanishDenoted a person from Araia in the Basque Country, Spain. It is of uncertain meaning.
ARECHAVALETA SpanishOriginally indicated a person from the town of Aretxabaleta in Spain. It means "oak trees" in Basque.
ARENAS SpanishFrom various Spanish place names, which are derived from Spanish
arena meaning
"sand".
ARIAS SpanishPossibly derived from a medieval given name, of Germanic origin.
ARITZA Spanish, BasqueFrom Basque
aritz meaning
"oak tree". This was a nickname of Iñigo, the first king of Pamplona, Spain (9th century).
ARRIOLA Spanish, BasqueFrom Basque place names, themselves derived from Basque
arri "stone" and
-ola "place of, house".
ASÍS SpanishOriginally denoted a person from the Italian city of Assisi (called
Asís in Spanish).
ASTURIAS SpanishFrom the name of a region in Spain, formerly a medieval kingdom. It is possibly derived from Basque
asta "rock" and
ur "water".
BARROS Portuguese, SpanishFrom the Portuguese and Spanish word
barro meaning
"clay, mud". This could either be an occupational name for a person who worked with clay or mud such as a builder or artisan, or a topographic name for someone living near clay or mud.
BASURTO SpanishFrom the Basque place name
Basurtu, a village (now part of Bilbao) in Biscay. It means "middle of the forest".
BELLO Spanish, ItalianMeans
"beautiful" in Spanish and Italian, originally a nickname for an attractive person.
BLANCO SpanishMeans
"white" in Spanish. The name most likely referred to a person who was pale or had blond hair.
BOLÍVAR SpanishFrom
Bolibar, the name of a small Basque village, derived from Basque
bolu "mill" and
ibar "meadow". This name was borne by the revolutionary Simón Bolívar (1783-1830).
BORJA SpanishOriginally indicated a person from the Spanish town of Borja in Aragon, derived from Arabic
بُرْج (burj) meaning "tower".
BUSTO Spanish, ItalianFrom the name of towns in Spain and Italy, derived from Late Latin
bustum meaning "ox pasture".
CABELLO SpanishMeans
"hair" in Spanish, used as a nickname for a person with a large amount of hair.
CABRERA SpanishFrom various place names derived from Late Latin
capraria meaning
"place of goats", from Latin
capra meaning "goat".
CAMPANA Italian, SpanishOccupational name from Late Latin
campana meaning
"bell", ultimately derived from the Italian region of Campania, where bells were produced.
CANO SpanishMeans
"white-haired, old" in Spanish, from Latin
canus.
CASAL SpanishFrom the Spanish word
casal meaning
"house", ultimately from Late Late
casalis and Latin
casa.
CASTILLA SpanishOriginally 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".
CATALÁN SpanishOriginally indicated a person who came from Catalonia, a region of eastern Spain.
CERVANTES SpanishPossibly from Old Spanish
servanto meaning
"servant" or
ciervo meaning
"stag". A famous bearer was the Spanish novelist Miguel de Cervantes (1547-1616).
CHAVES Portuguese, SpanishFrom the name of a Portuguese city, derived from the Roman name
FLAVIUS (being named for the emperor Vespasian, whose family name was Flavius).
CHÁVEZ SpanishVariant of
CHAVES. A famous bearer was the labour leader César Chávez (1927-1993).
CONTRERAS SpanishFrom the name of a town in Burgos, Spain, derived from Late Latin
contraria meaning "area opposite".
CUÉLLAR SpanishDerived from the name of the town of Cuéllar in the Segovia province of Spain. It may be derived from Latin
collis meaning "hill".
DALÍ SpanishFrom a given name, itself a diminutive of names beginning with the Germanic element
adal meaning "noble". This was the surname of the Spanish surrealist painter Salvador Dalí (1904-1989).
DELGADO Spanish, PortugueseMeans
"thin" in Spanish and Portuguese, ultimately from Latin
delicatus meaning "delicate, tender, charming".
ECHEVERRÍA SpanishDerived from the Basque place name
Etxeberria, which itself is derived from Basque
etxe "house" and
berri "new".
ELIZONDO SpanishOriginally referred to a person who lived close to a church, from Basque
eleiza "church" and
ondo "near".
ESCAMILLA SpanishDerived from the name of the town of Escamilla in Gualadajara, Spain.
ESCÁRCEGA SpanishDerived from the Basque place name
Eskarzaga, which itself is derived from Basque
hazkar "maple".
ESPARZA SpanishDerived from the Basque place name
Espartza, a town in the province of Navarre.
ESPINA SpanishMeans
"thorn" in Spanish, a name for someone who lived near a thorn bush.
ESPINOSA SpanishFrom Spanish
espinoso meaning
"thorny", ultimately from Latin
spinosus, a derivative of
spina meaning "thorn, spine".
FIGUEROA SpanishFrom places named for Galician
figueira meaning
"fig tree".
FONSECA Spanish, PortugueseOriginally belonged to a person who lived near a dry spring, from Latin
fons "well, spring" and
siccus "dry".
FUENTES SpanishMeans
"spring, well" in Spanish, derived from Latin
fons.
GALLEGO SpanishOriginally indicated a person from Galicia, a region in northwestern Spain.
GALLO Italian, SpanishMeans
"rooster", ultimately from Latin
gallus. This was a nickname for a proud person.
GARCÍA SpanishFrom a medieval given name of unknown meaning, possibly related to the Basque word
hartz meaning "bear". This is the most common surname in Spain.
GUERRERO SpanishMeans
"warrior" in Spanish, an occupational name for a soldier. It is derived from Late Latin
werra "war", of Germanic origin.
GUZMÁN SpanishFrom the name of the town of Guzmán in Burgos, Spain.
HOLGUÍN SpanishPossibly from Spanish
holgar "to rest, to enjoy oneself".
HUERTA SpanishMeans
"garden, orchard" in Spanish, ultimately from Latin
hortus.
IGLESIAS SpanishFrom Spanish
iglesia meaning
"church", from Latin
ecclesia (of Greek origin).
LOYOLA Spanish, BasqueFrom 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 SpanishFrom various places in Spain meaning "moon".
MACHADO Portuguese, SpanishDenoted a person who made or used hatchets, derived from Spanish and Portuguese
machado "hatchet", both from Latin
marculus "little hammer".
MALDONADO SpanishFrom a nickname meaning
"badly given, ill-favoured" in Spanish.
MARADONA SpanishFrom the name of a place near Lugo in northern Spain. A notable bearer is the former Argentinian soccer star Diego Maradona (1960-).
MATA Spanish, Portuguese, CatalanFrom Spanish, Portuguese and Catalan
mata meaning
"trees, shrubs", possibly from Late Latin
matta meaning "reed mat".
MERLO Italian, SpanishMeans
"blackbird", ultimately from Latin
merula. The blackbird is a symbol of a naive person.
MORALES SpanishDerived from Spanish
moral meaning
"mulberry tree", of Latin origin.
MUÑOZ SpanishPatronymic derived from the medieval Spanish given name
Muño, from Latin
Munnius, possibly of Germanic origin.
NAVARRO SpanishDenoted a person who came from Navarre in northern Spain (Spanish
Navarra). The name of the region is of Basque origin, possibly from
nabar meaning "brown".
OBANDO SpanishHabitational name for someone who came from Obando in Extremadura, Spain.
OJEDA SpanishFrom the name of the Ojeda river in Soria, Spain, possibly derived from Latin
folia "leaves".
OLEASTRO SpanishMeans
"wild olive" in Spanish, originally indicating one who lived near such a tree.
OLMO SpanishMeans
"elm tree" in Spanish, ultimately from Latin
ulmus. The name originally indicated a person who lived near such a tree.
OQUENDO SpanishOriginally indicated a person from the town of Okondo in Álava, northern Spain, possibly derived from Basque
ukondo "elbow".
ORELLANA SpanishOriginally 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 SpanishFrom a Spanish place name (belonging to various villages) derived from
ortiga "nettle".
ORTIZ SpanishMeans
"son of Orti", a byname deriving either from Latin
fortis meaning "brave, strong" or
fortunius meaning "fortunate".
PADILLA SpanishFrom various Spanish place names, derived from Spanish
padilla, Latin
patella meaning "shallow dish", used to indicate a depression in the landscape.
PALENCIA SpanishHabitational name from the city or region of Palencia in northern Spain.
PANTOJA SpanishOriginally indicated a person from the town of Pantoja, in Toledo, Spain.
PAREDES Portuguese, SpanishDenoted a person who lived near a wall, from Portuguese
parede and Spanish
pared meaning
"wall", both derived from Latin
paries.
PEÑA SpanishOriginally denoted a person who lived near a jutting rock, from Spanish
peña meaning
"rock, cliff".
PORRAS Spanish, CatalanFrom a nickname meaning
"club" in Spanish and Catalan, ultimately from Latin
porrum meaning "leek".
PRIETO SpanishFrom a nickname meaning
"dark" in Spanish, referring to a person with dark hair or skin.
PUERTA SpanishMeans
"door, gate", a topographic name for a person who lived near the gates of the town.
QUIÑONES SpanishFrom various Spanish place names derived from
quiñón meaning
"shared piece of land", derived from Latin
quinque "five".
QUINTANA Spanish, CatalanOriginally 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.
QUIRÓS SpanishDenoted a person from one of the various places of this name in Spain, which may derive from Galician
queiroa meaning
"heather".
RAMOS SpanishOriginally indicated a person who lived in a thickly wooded area, from Latin
ramus meaning
"branch".
RENDÓN SpanishPossibly derived from a variant of Spanish
de rondón meaning
"unexpectedly, rashly".
REY (1) English, Spanish, French, CatalanMeans
"king" in Old French, Spanish and Catalan, ultimately from Latin
rex (genitive
regis), perhaps originally denoting someone who acted like a king.
RIVERA SpanishFrom Spanish
ribera meaning
"bank, shore", from Latin
riparius.
ROBLEDO SpanishMeans
"oak wood" from Spanish
roble "oak", ultimately from Latin
robur.
ROBLES SpanishOriginally indicated a person who lived near an oak tree or forest, from Spanish
roble "oak", from Latin
robur.
ROJO SpanishMeans
"red" in Spanish, referring to the colour of the hair or complexion.
RUBIO SpanishNickname for a person with red hair, from Latin
rubeus "red".
SALAMANCA SpanishOriginally indicated a person from Salamanca, a city in western Spain that is of unknown meaning.
SALCEDO SpanishDerived from Latin
salix meaning
"willow tree". The name was originally given to one who lived near a willow tree.
SALINAS SpanishOccupational name for a salt worker or someone who lived bear a salt works, from Spanish
salina "salt works, salt mine", ultimately from Latin
sal "salt".
SANDOVAL SpanishDerived from the name of a town in Spain, ultimately from Latin
saltus "forest, glade" and
novalis "unploughed land".
SANTOS Portuguese, SpanishMeans
"saint" in Portuguese and Spanish, ultimately from Latin
sanctus. This was a nickname for a pious person.
SEPÚLVEDA SpanishDerived 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".
SIERRA SpanishOriginally indicated a dweller on a hill range or ridge, from Spanish
sierra "mountain range", derived from Latin
serra "saw".
SILVA Portuguese, SpanishFrom Spanish or Portuguese
silva meaning
"forest". This is the most common surname in Portugal and Brazil.
SOTO SpanishMeans
"grove of trees, small forest" in Spanish, ultimately from Latin
saltus.
TERRAZAS SpanishOriginally a name for a person from Terrazas in the Spanish city of Burgos, a place name meaning "terraces".
TOLEDANO SpanishDerived from the name of the city of Toledo in Spain, which was from Latin
Toletum, which may have been derived from a Celtic word meaning "hill".
TRUJILLO SpanishOriginally denoted a person from Trujillo, Spain, originally called
Turgalium in Latin.
UREÑA SpanishProbably derived from the name of Urueña, a town in the province of Valladolid, Spain, which is of unknown meaning.
VALIENTE SpanishFrom a nickname derived from Spanish
valiente meaning
"brave".
VARELA SpanishDerived 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 SpanishFrom Spanish
vega meaning
"meadow, plain", of Basque origin.
VELA SpanishDerived from Spanish
vela meaning
"sail" or the homonym
vela meaning
"watchful".
VICARIO Spanish, ItalianMeans
"vicar" in Spanish and Italian, an ecclesiastic title used to denote a representative of a bishop. It is derived from Latin
vicarius meaning "substitute, deputy".
VILLA Italian, SpanishMeans
"town" in Italian and Spanish, from Latin. It was originally given to a person who came from a town, as opposed to the countryside.
VILLALOBOS SpanishDenoted a person from the town of Villalobos, Spain, which is derived from Spanish
villa "town" and
lobo "wolf".
VILLANUEVA SpanishOriginally denoted someone who came from one of the various Spanish towns by this name, derived from
villa "town" and
nueva "new".
VILLAVERDE SpanishOriginally denoted a person from one of the various Spanish towns by this name, derived from
villa "farm, settlement" and
verde "green".
ZAMORANO SpanishOriginally denoted a person from Zamora, the name of both a province in Spain and its capital city.