Spanish Surnames

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.

ABASCAL Spanish
Means "priest's street" from Basque abas "priest" and kale "street".

ABEL (1) English, French, Danish, Spanish, Portuguese
Derived from the given name ABEL.

ABRAHAM Jewish, English, German, French, Spanish, Dutch
Derived from the given name ABRAHAM.

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.

AGUADO Spanish
Derived from Spanish agua "water", indicating a person who lived near water or worked with water.

AGUILAR Spanish
From a place name that was derived from Spanish águila meaning "eagle", ultimately from Latin aquila.

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

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

ALFARO Spanish
Originally denoted someone who was from the city of Alfaro in La Rioja, Spain. It is possibly derived from Arabic meaning "the watchtower".

ALONSO Spanish
From the given name ALONSO.

ALVARADO Spanish
From a Spanish place name, possibly derived from Spanish alba "white".

ÁLVAREZ Spanish
Means "son of ÁLVARO".

AMADOR Spanish
Derived from the given name AMADOR.

ANDRÉS Spanish
Derived from the given name ANDRÉS.

ANTONIO Spanish
Derived from the given name ANTONIO.

ANTÚNEZ Spanish
Means "son of ANTONIO".

AQUINO Italian, Spanish
From 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.

ARAUJO Spanish
Spanish form of ARAÚJO.

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

ARCE Spanish
Means "maple tree" in Spanish.

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

ARENAS Spanish
From various Spanish place names, which are derived from Spanish arena meaning "sand".

ARIAS Spanish
Possibly derived from a medieval given name, of Germanic origin.

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

ARMANDO Italian, Portuguese, Spanish
Derived from the given name ARMANDO.

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".

ASÍS Spanish
Originally denoted a person from the Italian city of Assisi (called Asís in Spanish).

ASTURIAS Spanish
From the name of a region in Spain, formerly a medieval kingdom. It is possibly derived from Basque asta "rock" and ur "water".

BANDERAS Spanish
Spanish cognate of BANNER.

BARROS Portuguese, Spanish
From 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 Spanish
From the Basque place name Basurtu, a village (now part of Bilbao) in Biscay. It means "middle of the forest".

BAUTISTA Spanish
Derived from the given name BAUTISTA.

BELLO Spanish, Italian
Means "beautiful" in Spanish and Italian, originally a nickname for an attractive person.

BELMONTE Spanish, Italian
From various place names in Italy and Spain meaning "beautiful mountain".

BENÍTEZ Spanish
Means "son of BENITO".

BERMÚDEZ Spanish
Means "son of BERMUDO".

BLANCO Spanish
Means "white" in Spanish. The name most likely referred to a person who was pale or had blond hair.

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

BOSQUE Spanish
Spanish form of BOSCO.

BUSTILLO Spanish
From the name of Spanish towns, diminutive forms of BUSTO.

BUSTO Spanish, Italian
From the name of towns in Spain and Italy, derived from Late Latin bustum meaning "ox pasture".

BUSTOS Spanish
Variant of BUSTO.

CABELLO Spanish
Means "hair" in Spanish, used as a nickname for a person with a large amount of hair.

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

CALVO Spanish
Means "bald" in Spanish, from Latin calvus.

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

CAMPO Spanish, Italian
Means "field" in Spanish and Italian.

CAMPOS Portuguese, Spanish
Portuguese and Spanish variant of CAMPO.

CANO Spanish
Means "white-haired, old" in Spanish, from Latin canus.

CANTÚ Spanish (Mexican)
Variant of CANTÙ, common in Mexico.

CAPILLA Spanish
Spanish form of KAPPEL.

CARDOSO Portuguese, Spanish
From a place name meaning "thorny" in Portuguese and Spanish, ultimately from Latin carduus.

CARDOZO Spanish
Variant of CARDOSO.

CARO Spanish, Italian
From Spanish and Italian caro meaning "beloved".

CASAL Spanish
From the Spanish word casal meaning "house", ultimately from Late Late casalis and Latin casa.

CASALES Spanish
Variant of CASAL.

CASTELLANO Spanish
Variant of CASTILLA.

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".

CASTILLO Spanish
Spanish cognate of CASTLE.

CASTRO Spanish, Portuguese
Means "castle" in Spanish and Portuguese, referring to one who lived near a castle.

CATALÁN Spanish
Originally indicated a person who came from Catalonia, a region of eastern Spain.

CERVANTES Spanish
Possibly from Old Spanish servanto meaning "servant" or ciervo meaning "stag". A famous bearer was the Spanish novelist Miguel de Cervantes (1547-1616).

CHAVARRÍA Spanish
Variant of ECHEVERRÍA.

CHAVES Portuguese, Spanish
From the name of a Portuguese city, derived from the Roman name FLAVIUS (being named for the emperor Vespasian, whose family name was Flavius).

CHÁVEZ Spanish
Variant of CHAVES. A famous bearer was the labour leader César Chávez (1927-1993).

COLÓN Spanish
Spanish form of COLOMBO.

CONTRERAS Spanish
From the name of a town in Burgos, Spain, derived from Late Latin contraria meaning "area opposite".

CORTÉS Spanish
Means "polite, courteous" in Spanish.

CORTEZ Spanish
Variant of CORTÉS.

CRESPO Spanish, Portuguese, Italian
Referred to a person with curly hair, from Latin crispus meaning "curly".

CRUZ Spanish, Portuguese
Spanish and Portuguese cognate of CROSS.

CUÉLLAR Spanish
Derived from the name of the town of Cuéllar in the Segovia province of Spain. It may be derived from Latin collis meaning "hill".

CUESTA Spanish
Spanish form of COSTA.

CUEVAS Spanish
Derived from Spanish cueva meaning "cave".

DALÍ Spanish
From 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).

DE LA CRUZ Spanish
Spanish cognate of DELACROIX.

DE LA FUENTE Spanish
Means "of the fountain" in Spanish.

DEL BOSQUE Spanish
Means "of the forest" in Spanish.

DE LEÓN Spanish
Referred to someone from the Leon region of Spain.

DELGADO Spanish, Portuguese
Means "thin" in Spanish and Portuguese, ultimately from Latin delicatus meaning "delicate, tender, charming".

DEL OLMO Spanish
Variant of OLMO.

DEL RÍO Spanish
Means "of the river" in Spanish.

DE SANTIAGO Spanish
Variant of SANTIAGO.

DÍAZ Spanish
Means "son of DIEGO" in Spanish.

DOMÍNGUEZ Spanish
Means "son of DOMINGO".

DUARTE Portuguese, Spanish
From the given name DUARTE.

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".

ELIZONDO Spanish
Originally referred to a person who lived close to a church, from Basque eleiza "church" and ondo "near".

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.

ESPINO Spanish
Variant of ESPINA.

ESPINOSA Spanish
From Spanish espinoso meaning "thorny", ultimately from Latin spinosus, a derivative of spina meaning "thorn, spine".

ESPINOZA Spanish
Variant of ESPINOSA.

ESTÉVEZ Spanish
Means "son of ESTEBAN".

ESTRADA Spanish
Spanish form of STREET.

FÉLIX French, Spanish, Portuguese
From the given name FELIX.

FERNÁNDEZ Spanish
Means "son of FERNANDO". This is among the most common surnames in Spain.

FIERRO Spanish, Italian
Variant of FERRO.

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

FLORES Spanish
Means "son of FLORO" in Spanish.

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.

FRANCO Spanish, Italian, Portuguese
Cognate of FRANK (1).

FUENTES Spanish
Means "spring, well" in Spanish, derived from Latin fons.

GALLEGO Spanish
Originally indicated a person from Galicia, a region in northwestern Spain.

GALLO Italian, Spanish
Means "rooster", ultimately from Latin gallus. This was a nickname for a proud person.

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.

GARRIDO Spanish
Means "elegant, ostentatious" in Spanish.

GARZA Spanish
Derived from Spanish garza meaning "heron".

GASPAR Portuguese, Spanish
Derived from the given name GASPAR.

GIL Spanish, Portuguese
From the given name GIL (1).

GIMÉNEZ Spanish
Variant of JIMÉNEZ.

GÓMEZ Spanish
Spanish form of GOMES.

GONZALES Spanish
Variant of GONZÁLEZ.

GONZÁLEZ Spanish
Means "son of GONZALO" in Spanish. This is among the most common surnames in Spain.

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.

GUERRERO Spanish
Means "warrior" in Spanish, an occupational name for a soldier. It is derived from Late Latin werra "war", of Germanic origin.

GUTIÉRREZ Spanish
Means "son of GUTIERRE".

GUTIERREZ Spanish
Variant of GUTIÉRREZ.

GUZMÁN Spanish
From the name of the town of Guzmán in Burgos, Spain.

HERNÁNDEZ Spanish
Means "son of HERNANDO" in Spanish.

HERRERA Spanish
Spanish form of FERREIRA.

HERRERO Spanish
Spanish cognate of FERRARI.

HIERRO Spanish
Spanish form of FERRO.

HOLGUÍN Spanish
Possibly from Spanish holgar "to rest, to enjoy oneself".

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

IBÁÑEZ Spanish
Means "son of IBÁN".

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

IGLESIAS Spanish
From Spanish iglesia meaning "church", from Latin ecclesia (of Greek origin).

ÍÑIGUEZ Spanish
Means "son of ÍÑIGO" in Spanish.

IÑÍGUEZ Spanish
Variant of ÍÑIGUEZ.

JIMÉNEZ Spanish
Means "son of JIMENO".

JUÁREZ Spanish
Variant of SUÁREZ.

LOBO Spanish, Portuguese
Originally a nickname meaning "wolf" in Spanish and Portuguese.

LÓPEZ Spanish
Means "son of LOPE" in Spanish.

LOPEZ Spanish
Variant of LÓPEZ.

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.

LUCAS English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, Dutch
Derived from the given name LUCAS. A famous bearer of this surname is George Lucas (1944-), the creator of the Star Wars movies.

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

MACHADO Portuguese, Spanish
Denoted a person who made or used hatchets, derived from Spanish and Portuguese machado "hatchet", both from Latin marculus "little hammer".

MACÍAS Spanish
Derived from the given name MATEO.

MAGRO Italian, Spanish, Portuguese
From a nickname meaning "thin, lean", ultimately from Latin macer.

MALDONADO Spanish
From a nickname meaning "badly given, ill-favoured" in Spanish.

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-).

MARÍA Spanish
From the given the name MARÍA.

MARÍN Spanish
Derived from the given name MARINO.

MARINO Italian, Spanish
Derived from the given name MARINO.

MÁRQUEZ Spanish
Means "son of MARCOS".

MARTÍN Spanish
Derived from the given name MARTÍN.

MARTÍNEZ Spanish
Means "son of MARTÍN" in Spanish.

MARTINEZ Spanish
Variant of MARTÍNEZ.

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

MATOS Portuguese, Spanish
Variant of MATA.

MEDINA Spanish
Means "(Arab) city" in Spanish, derived from Arabic مدينة (madinah).

MELÉNDEZ Spanish
Variant of MENÉNDEZ.

MÉNDEZ Spanish
Variant of MENÉNDEZ.

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

MENÉNDEZ Spanish
Means "son of Menendo" in Spanish, the given name Menendo being a medieval Spanish form of HERMENEGILDO.

MERLO Italian, Spanish
Means "blackbird", ultimately from Latin merula. The blackbird is a symbol of a naive person.

MINGO Spanish
From the given name DOMINGO.

MOLINA Spanish
Means "mill" in Spanish.

MONTAÑA Spanish
Spanish cognate of MONTAGNA.

MONTERO Spanish
Derived from Spanish monte "mountain".

MORALES Spanish
Derived from Spanish moral meaning "mulberry tree", of Latin origin.

MORALEZ Spanish
Variant of MORALES.

MORENO Spanish, Portuguese
From a nickname meaning "dark" in Spanish and Portuguese.

MUÑOZ Spanish
Patronymic derived from the medieval Spanish given name Muño, from Latin Munnius, possibly of Germanic origin.

NARVÁEZ Spanish
From the name of a town in central Spain.

NAVARRO Spanish
Denoted 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".

NIEVES Spanish
From the given name NIEVES.

NOGUERA Spanish, Catalan
Spanish and Catalan form of NOGUEIRA.

NÚÑEZ Spanish
Spanish form of NUNES.

OBANDO Spanish
Habitational name for someone who came from Obando in Extremadura, Spain.

OCHOA Spanish
Spanish form of OTXOA.

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

OLEASTRO Spanish
Means "wild olive" in Spanish, originally indicating one who lived near such a tree.

OLGUÍN Spanish
Variant of HOLGUÍN.

OLMO Spanish
Means "elm tree" in Spanish, ultimately from Latin ulmus. The name originally indicated a person who lived near such a tree.

OLMOS Spanish
Variant of OLMO.

OQUENDO Spanish
Originally indicated a person from the town of Okondo in Álava, northern Spain, possibly derived from Basque ukondo "elbow".

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".

ORTIZ Spanish
Means "son of Orti", a byname deriving either from Latin fortis meaning "brave, strong" or fortunius meaning "fortunate".

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.

PALOMO Spanish
Means "pigeon, dove", from Latin palumbes.

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

PAREDES Portuguese, Spanish
Denoted a person who lived near a wall, from Portuguese parede and Spanish pared meaning "wall", both derived from Latin paries.

PAVÍA Spanish
Spanish form of PAVIA.

PELÁEZ Spanish
Means "son of PELAYO".

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

PÉREZ Spanish
Means "son of PEDRO" in Spanish.

PEREZ Spanish
Variant of PÉREZ.

PINTO Portuguese, Spanish, Italian
Means "mottled" in Portuguese, Spanish and Italian, derived from Late Latin pinctus, Latin pictus "painted".

PORRAS Spanish, Catalan
From a nickname meaning "club" in Spanish and Catalan, ultimately from Latin porrum meaning "leek".

PRIETO Spanish
From a nickname meaning "dark" in Spanish, referring to a person with dark hair or skin.

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

QUIÑONES Spanish
From various Spanish place names derived from quiñón meaning "shared piece of land", derived from Latin quinque "five".

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.

QUIRÓS Spanish
Denoted a person from one of the various places of this name in Spain, which may derive from Galician queiroa meaning "heather".

RAMÍREZ Spanish
Means "son of RAMIRO" in Spanish.

RAMOS Spanish
Originally indicated a person who lived in a thickly wooded area, from Latin ramus meaning "branch".

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

RENDÓN Spanish
Possibly derived from a variant of Spanish de rondón meaning "unexpectedly, rashly".

REY (1) English, Spanish, French, Catalan
Means "king" in Old French, Spanish and Catalan, ultimately from Latin rex (genitive regis), perhaps originally denoting someone who acted like a king.

REYES Spanish
Spanish variant of REY (1).

RÍOS Spanish
Spanish cognate of RIOS.

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

RIVERO Spanish
Variant of RIVERA.

ROBLEDO Spanish
Means "oak wood" from Spanish roble "oak", ultimately from Latin robur.

ROBLES Spanish
Originally indicated a person who lived near an oak tree or forest, from Spanish roble "oak", from Latin robur.

RODRÍGUEZ Spanish
Means "son of RODRIGO" in Spanish. This is among the most common surnames in Spain.

RODRIQUEZ Spanish
Variant of RODRÍGUEZ.

ROJAS Spanish
Variant of ROJO.

ROJO Spanish
Means "red" in Spanish, referring to the colour of the hair or complexion.

ROLDÁN Spanish
Derived from the given name ROLDÁN.

ROMERO Spanish
Derived from Spanish romero meaning "pilgrim to ROME".

ROSALES Spanish
Means "rose bushes" in Spanish.

ROSARIO Spanish
Spanish form of ROSÁRIO.

RUBIO Spanish
Nickname for a person with red hair, from Latin rubeus "red".

RUIZ Spanish
Means "son of RUY" in Spanish.

SALA Italian, Spanish, Catalan, 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.

SALCEDO Spanish
Derived from Latin salix meaning "willow tree". The name was originally given to one who lived near a willow tree.

SALINAS Spanish
Occupational 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".

SÁNCHEZ Spanish
Means "son of SANCHO".

SANCHEZ Spanish
Americanized form of SÁNCHEZ.

SANDOVAL Spanish
Derived from the name of a town in Spain, ultimately from Latin saltus "forest, glade" and novalis "unploughed land".

SAN NICOLÁS Spanish
Indicated the original bearer was from a place named after Saint NICHOLAS.

SANTANA Spanish, Portuguese
From any of the numerous places named after Saint ANNA.

SANTIAGO Spanish, Portuguese
From various Spanish and Portuguese places called SANTIAGO.

SANTOS Portuguese, Spanish
Means "saint" in Portuguese and Spanish, ultimately from Latin sanctus. This was a nickname for a pious person.

SANZ Spanish
From the given name SANCHO.

SASTRE Spanish
Spanish cognate of SARTO.

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".

SERRANO Spanish
Variant 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.

SOSA Spanish
Spanish form of SOUSA.

SOTO Spanish
Means "grove of trees, small forest" in Spanish, ultimately from Latin saltus.

SUÁREZ Spanish
Means "son of SUERO".

SUERO Spanish
Derived from the given name SUERO.

TAPIA Spanish
Means "mud wall" in Spanish.

TERRAZAS Spanish
Originally a name for a person from Terrazas in the Spanish city of Burgos, a place name meaning "terraces".

TOLEDANO Spanish
Derived 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".

TORRES Spanish, Portuguese
Name for a person who lived in or near a tower, ultimately from Latin turris.

TOS Spanish
Spanish form of TOSI.

TRAVIESO Spanish
Spanish form of TRAVERS.

TRUJILLO Spanish
Originally denoted a person from Trujillo, Spain, originally called Turgalium in Latin.

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

VALDEZ Spanish
Means "son of BALDO".

VALENCIA Spanish
From the name of the Spanish city of VALENCIA.

VALIENTE Spanish
From a nickname derived from Spanish valiente meaning "brave".

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.

VARGAS Spanish, Portuguese
Means "hut, slope, pastureland" in Spanish and Portuguese dialects.

VÁSQUEZ Spanish
Means "son of VASCO".

VÁZQUEZ Spanish
Variant of VÁSQUEZ.

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

VELA Spanish
Derived from Spanish vela meaning "sail" or the homonym vela meaning "watchful".

VELÁSQUEZ Spanish
Derived from the given name VELASCO.

VELÁZQUEZ Spanish
Derived from the given name VELASCO.

VENTURA Italian, Spanish, Portuguese
From the given names BONAVENTURA (Italian), BUENAVENTURA (Spanish) and BOAVENTURA (Portuguese).

VICARIO Spanish, Italian
Means "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".

VIDAL Spanish, French
From the given name VIDAL.

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.

VILLALOBOS Spanish
Denoted a person from the town of Villalobos, Spain, which is derived from Spanish villa "town" and lobo "wolf".

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

VILLAR Spanish
Spanish cognate of VILAR.

VILLAVERDE Spanish
Originally denoted a person from one of the various Spanish towns by this name, derived from villa "farm, settlement" and verde "green".

VITERI Spanish, Basque
Meaning uncertain, possibly from a Basque place name.

YBARRA Spanish, Basque
Variant of IBARRA.

ZAMORANO Spanish
Originally denoted a person from Zamora, the name of both a province in Spain and its capital city.

ZAPATERO Spanish
Spanish cognate of SAVATIER.

ZAVALA Spanish
Variant of ZABALA.