Central American Submitted Surnames

Central American names include those from Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama.
usage
Submitted names are contributed by users of this website. The accuracy of these name definitions cannot be guaranteed.
Laura Spanish
Of uncertain origin; in some cases, it is possibly a habitational name from a place named Laura.
Laureano Spanish
From the given name Laureano
Laurel Spanish, Portuguese, Filipino, Tagalog, Cebuano
Topographic name for someone who lived by a laurel tree, Spanish laurel (Latin laurus), or a habitational name from Laurel in the Canary Islands.
Laurencio Spanish
Derived from the given name Lorenzo. (Mostly common in Cuba)
Leal Portuguese, Spanish
Means "loyal" in Portuguese and Spanish. A famous bearer of this surname is Roberto Leal, a very popular singer in Portugal.
Leandrez Spanish
Spanish cognate of Leandres.
Lebrón Spanish
Lebrón is a surname most prevalent in the Autonomous Community of Andalucía. It is an augmentative of liebre (meaning "hare" in Spanish).
Ledesma Spanish
Habitational name from any of the numerous places in Spain called Ledesma, possibly derived from a Celtic root meaning "broad, wide".
Ledo Spanish, Galician, Portuguese
Nickname from ledo meaning ‘happy’, ‘joyful’
Lemõns Spanish (Rare)
Variant of Lemons.
Lemus Spanish
Spanish form of Lémieux.
Leocadio Spanish
From the given name Leocadio.
Leonado Spanish
The color tawny which is an orange, brown color. This descriptive surname was given to the Filipino people by the Spanish when the Philippines was colonized.
Leonardo Italian, Spanish, German
Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese from the Germanic personal name Leonhard, formed from the elements leo ‘lion’ + hard, ‘hardy’, ‘brave’, ‘strong’; this was an early medieval saint’s name (see Leonard).
Leoncio Spanish
From the given name Leoncio.
Leones Spanish
Habitational name for someone from the city of León in Spain. Coincides with the plural form of Spanish león "lion; cougar, puma".
Leonor Spanish, Portuguese
From the given name Leonor.
Liberio Italian, Spanish
From the given name Liberio
Liberto Italian, Spanish, Portuguese
From the given name Liberto.
Librado Spanish
From the given name Librado.
Licona Spanish
Habitational name from a place called Likoa in Basque Country.
Limon Spanish
An occupational name for a grower or seller of the fruit.
Limones Spanish
Variant of Limon.
Linares Spanish
Means "son of Linéus" from latin "line".
Linde Spanish
From Spanish linde "boundary" or a habitational name from places called La Linde in Spain.
Liz Spanish
History unknown; surname known in the Dominican Republic
Llanes Spanish (Latin American), Spanish (Philippines)
Likely denoted someone who came from the municipality of Llanes in Spain.
Llaquet Spanish, Catalan
Topographic name from the Catalan word llac "pond, lake", indicating a person who lives near a lake.
Lobato Spanish, Portuguese
nickname from lobato "wolf cub" (from Latin lupus "wolf") or from a medieval personal name based on this word.
Lobera Spanish
Either a topographic name from lobera "wolf pack" or "wolves' lair" or a habitational name from any of several places called La Lobera. variant of Lovera.
Lobosvilla Spanish
Rare variant of Villalobos.
Longino Italian, Spanish, Portuguese
From the given name Longino.
Lorén Spanish
A variant of the Spanish personal name Llorente.
Lorez Spanish
Means "son of Lorenzo" in Spanish.
Losada Spanish, Portuguese
topographic name for someone who lived by an area paved with flagstones Spanish losada (from losar "to pave" a derivative of losa a word of pre-Roman origin meaning a "flat stone slab").
Lovato Spanish (Latin American), Italian
Northern Italian from the Late Latin personal name Lupatus, derivative of Latin lupus "wolf". This is one of several medieval personal names which became popular under the influence of Germanic compound personal names formed with wolf-.
Lovera Italian, Spanish
Either a topographic name from lovera "wolf pack" or "wolves’ lair" or a habitational name from a place called Lovera. Spanish variant of Lobera.
Loya Basque, Spanish
From a location in Navarre, Spain, probably means "the mud", derived from Basque lohi "mud, mire".
Lozada Spanish
Variant of Lozano.
Lucero English, Spanish
The surname "Lucero" was derived from English conquerers who came from England, most likely someone who worked for a king or queen. The term Lucero refers to a "star" or "light carrier" when the English traveled to Spain, the Spanish people gave them the name "Lucero" but earlier was spelled with an "s or Lusero"... [more]
Lucía Spanish, Italian
From the feminine personal name Lucia, feminine derivative of Latin lux meaning "light".
Lugardo Spanish
Spanish (Mainly Huelva): From The Personal Name Lugardo A Variant Of Lutgardo Of Ancient Germanic Origin (See Luckhardt ). This Surname Is Most Common In Mexico.
Lugo Spanish
Galician and Spanish habitational name from Lugo, a city in Galicia. This was a Roman settlement under the name of Lucus Augusti ‘grove or wood of Augustus’, but that may have been no more than an adaptation of an earlier name derived from that of the Celtic god Lugos.
Luis Spanish
From the given name Luis. Cognate to Louis and Lewis 1.
Luján Spanish
This is the second last name of Spanish footballer/soccer player Andrés Iniesta.
Lujano Spanish
Spanish: variant of Luján ( see Lujan ).
Lumbreras Spanish
Habitational Name From A Place Called Lumbreras In La Rioja From The Plural Of Lumbrera ‘Lamp’ Possibly Referring To An Old Signal Tower.
Lunavelasco Spanish (Latin American, Rare)
Un-hyphenated combination of the last names, Luna, and Velasco forming its’ own name. Luna meaning “the moon” in Latin as well as multiple languages. Velasco meaning “crow” or “raven”.
Luque Spanish
Habitational name from the city of Luque in Córdoba, Spain, derived from Latin lucus meaning "sacred grove, wood, forest".
Luz Spanish, Portuguese
From the given name Luz.
Macario Italian, Spanish
From the given name Macario
Macarro Spanish
From the verb Macar meaning 'to bruise'
Macedo Portuguese, Spanish (Latin American)
Referred to a person who worked or lived at an apple orchard. It is derived from Vulgar Latin mattianēta meaning "place with apple trees."
Machín Spanish
Derived from the Basque name Matxin.
Maciel Portuguese, Spanish
Possibly derived from Portuguese maça "apple".
Madera Spanish
describing someone who lived or worked in a forest. the word Madera means "wood" in Spanish. Spanish meaning of surname Wood
Madrid Spanish
habitational name from what is now Spain's principal city Madrid. Throughout the Middle Ages it was of only modest size and importance and did not become the capital of Spain until 156 Its name is of uncertain origin most probably a derivative of Late Latin matrix genitive matricis "riverbed" much changed by Arabic mediation (see Madrigal ). There are other smaller places of the same name in the provinces of Burgos and Cantabria and these may also be sources of the surname.
Madrigal Spanish
"Madrigal" comes from from the Venetian madregal "simple, ingenuous," from Late Latin matricalis "invented, original," literally "of or from the womb," from matrix (gen. matricis) "womb."
Madriz Spanish, Catalan
patronymic surname meaning "son of Madrileño"; given to a person that came from Madrid, Spain.
Madroñero Spanish
It literally means "strawberry farmer".
Maestre Portuguese, Spanish
Occupational name from old Spanish and Portuguese maestre meaning 'master', 'master craftsman', 'teacher'.
Magallanes Spanish
Spanish: Castilianized Form Of A Habitational Name From The Village Of Magaláns (Castilian Magalanes) In Pontevedra Province Galicia (Spain).
Magaña Spanish
This indicates familial origin within the eponymous Castilian municipality.
Magdaleno Spanish
Masculine form of the Biblical name Magdalena.
Maidana Spanish
Likely derived from from Arabic ميدانا (maydanan) meaning "field".
Mairena Spanish
From place name Mairena.
Málaga Spanish
Habitational name for someone from Málaga, capital of the province of the same name in Andalusia.
Malta Italian, Spanish, Portuguese
habitational or ethnic name for someone from the Mediterranean island of Malta (from Latin Melita Greek Melitē).
Mancebo Spanish
Spanish: Occupational Or Status Name For A Serf Or Servant Also ‘Youth Single Man’ Old Spanish Mancebo (From Late Latin Mancipus From Classical Latin Mancipium ‘Slave’).
Mandujano Spanish
Spanish: Possibly An Altered Form Of A Basque Habitational Name From Mandoiana A Town In Araba/Álava Province Basque Country. This Surname Is Most Common In Mexico.
Manjarrés Spanish
This indicates familial origin within the eponymous Riojan municipality.
Manjarrez Spanish
Habitational Name From Manjarrés A Village In La Rioja Province.
Manrique Spanish
From the given name Manrique.
Mansilla Spanish
Spanish: habitational name from Mansilla a place in La Rioja province.
Mantilla Spanish
Spanish: from mantilla ‘mantilla’, ‘scarf worn over the head and shoulders’, presumably an occupational name for a maker of mantillas or a descriptive name for someone who habitually wore such a garment.
Manuel Catalan, Spanish
Possibly also a habitational name from Manuel in Valencia province.
Manuel Spanish, Portuguese, French, German
Derived from the given name Manuel.
Manzanares Spanish
Habitational Name From The City Of Manzanares In Ciudad Real Province
Maqueda Spanish
This indicates familial origin within either of 2 eponymous localities: the Manchego municipality or the neighborhood of the Andalusian municipality of Málaga.
Marcelo Spanish, Portuguese
From the given name Marcelo.
Marchant French, English, Spanish
Variant of Marchand, from French marchand meaning "merchant, mercantile". Though it is of French origin, it was transferred into the Spanish-speaking world, especially Chile, by French invasion of the Iberian Peninsula.
Marchena Spanish
This indicates familial origin within either of 4 Andalusian localities or 1 Murcian locality.
Marcial Spanish, Filipino
From the given name Marcial.
Marciano Italian, Portuguese, Spanish
Derived from the given name Marciano
Mares Spanish
A quarternary sand used in construction.
Marfil Spanish
Means "ivory" in Spanish (ultimately of Arabic origin).
Mariano Italian, Spanish, Portuguese
From the personal name Mariano
Marinez Spanish
Means "son of Marino" in Spanish.
Maripan Spanish (Latin American)
Meaning unknown, mostly used in Chile.
Marmolejo Spanish
This indicates familial origin within the eponymous Andalusian municipality.
Marquez Spanish
Unaccented variant of Márquez.
Marrero Italian, Spanish
Maker of spades or hoes. Marra spade
Marron Spanish
Derived from the French word marron meaning "chestnut", which now means "brown" in Spanish.
Marroquín Spanish (Latin American)
Ethnic Name For Someone From Morocco. This Surname Is Most Common In Central America.
Marroquin Spanish
Spanish or Portuguese
Marrufo Spanish
nickname from marrufo a Portuguese word meaning literally 'lay brother' and figuratively 'cunning sly'
Marte Spanish, Italian
From the given name Marte 2.
Martelle English, German, French, Spanish, Portuguese
English and German: from a medieval personal name, a pet form of Martin or Marta.... [more]
Martes Spanish
Pet form of Marte.
Martillo Spanish
From the Spanish word "martillo" which means hammer. Occupational name for a user or maker of hammers.
Martinien Spanish (Latin American)
A rare Latin American form of Martinez or Martin, meaning "Warring" or "At war"
Mártir Spanish
from mártir "martyr" probably a nickname for someone devoted to the religious cult of a Christian martyr or perhaps one who had played the part of a Christian martyr in a religious play.
Marulanda Spanish
topographic or habitational name referring to a house named with maru 'Moor' + landa '(large) field prairie'.
Marzon Spanish
Is a portmanteau of the words mar, meaning sea, and corazon, meaning heart.
Masvidal Spanish
surname formed by the union of the word, mas, meaning a house from rural zones that is appart from the village and is surrounded by farming land and forests; and another word relating to the owner of the mas.
Matamoros Spanish
Given to the Apostle James, who according to tradition helped Christians to fight against the Moors.
Matarranz Spanish
Originated in northern Spain, probably from mat- which means to kill and the surname Arranz. It is currently a very rare surname and is found mainly in the province of Segovia.
Matarrita Spanish (Latin American)
Mostly used in Costa Rica.
Mathias French, Dutch, Spanish, Portuguese
French, Dutch: from the personal name Mathias (see Matthew).... [more]
Matias Filipino, Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, Czech (Americanized)
Spanish (Matías), Portuguese, and Dutch: from the personal name (see Matthew).... [more]
Mauleon Spanish (Archaic)
All I know is that there is a place in spain "Basque Country" that their town, apartments, holtes are named Mauleon. The language spoken is Basque a form of "Spanish and French"
Mauricio Spanish
From the given name Mauricio
Maya Basque (Hispanicized), Portuguese (Hispanicized), Spanish
Castilianized form of Portuguese Maia or of Basque Maia.
Mayor English, Spanish, Catalan
English variant of Mayer 3 and Catalan variant of Major. Either a nickname for an older man or a distinguishing epithet for the elder of two bearers of the same personal name, from mayor "older", from Latin maior (natus), literally "greater (by birth)"... [more]
Mayoral Spanish
Occupational name for the foreman of a gang of agricultural workers or the leader of a group of herdsmen mayoral (from Late Latin maioralis originally an adjective derivative of maior 'greater').
Mayordomo Spanish
Means "butler" in Spanish.
Mayorga Spanish
habitational name, taken on from the place name Mayorga in Valladolid province of Castile.
Mayorquin Spanish
variant of Mallorquín a habitational name for someone from Majorca the largest island in the Balearic Islands from an adjectival form of its Spanish name Mallorca.
Mazariego Spanish
Altered form of Mazariegos in singular for matching with the bearer.
Medellin Spanish
Habitational name from a place so named in Badajoz province Latin (Caecilia) Metellina derived from the name of a 1st-century Roman proconsul in Spain Cecilio Metello Pio.
Medrano Spanish
This indicates familial origin within the eponymous Riojan municipality.
Mejia Spanish
Spanish (Mejía): probably from a religious byname (possibly under Jewish influence), from a vernacular form of Latin, Greek Messias ‘Messiah’, from Hebrew māšīaḥ ‘anointed’.
Melchor Spanish
Derived from the given name Melchor.
Melendez Spanish (Americanized), Filipino
Unaccented form of Meléndez primarily used in America and the Philippines.
Melero Spanish
Occupational name for a collector or seller of honey, melero (Late Latin mellarius, an agent derivative of mel, genitive mellis, ‘honey’).
Melgar Spanish
Topographical name for someone who lived by a field of lucerne, Spanish melgar (a collective derivative of mielga 'lucerne', Late Latin melica, for classical Latin Medica (herba) 'plant' from Media).
Melgosa Spanish
This indicates familial origin within either of 2 Castilian municipalities, Melgosa de Burgos or Melgosa de Villadiego. It could also indicate familial origin within the Manchego municipality La Melgosa.
Melillo Spanish, Italian
describing someone who worked on an apple orchard,harvesting and selling apples from the italian mela
Melquíades Spanish
From the given name Melquíades.
Mencia Spanish
Derived from the female personal name Mencía Mencia a cognate of the male name Matías.
Mendez Spanish (Americanized), Filipino
Unaccented form of Méndez primarily used in America and the Philippines.
Mendosa Spanish
Variant spelling of Mendoza.
Menendez Spanish (Americanized), Filipino
Unaccented form of Menéndez primarily used in America and the Philippines.
Meneses Spanish, Portuguese
Meaning uncertain. It was likely a habitational name from either the municipality of Meneses de Campos in Palencia or the municipality of Valle de Mena in Burgos.
Mengíbar Spanish
This indicates familial origin within the eponymous Andalusian municipality.
Menonita Spanish (Latin American, Rare)
From Spanish meaning "mennonite".
Mérida Spanish
habitational name from the city of Mérida in Badajoz province... [more]
Mesa Spanish
Habitational name for someone from any of the various locations in Spain called Mesa meaning "table" or "mesa" in Spanish (referring to a flat area of land).
Mesías Spanish, Spanish (Latin American)
Spanish, meaning Messiah.
Messi Italian, Spanish (Latin American)
Possibly from Italian messi meaning "messengers". Aamous bearer of this surname is Lionel Messi (born 1987-), an Argentinian footballer of Italian descent.
Mestanza Spanish
This indicates familial origin within the eponymous Manchego municipality.
Mestizo Spanish (Latin American)
Derived from Spanish mezclado "mixed". Likely denoting a person with mixed Spanish and Amerindian descent.
Meza Spanish
Older variant of Mesa.
Mezquita Spanish
Spanish cognate of Mesquita.
Mieles Italian, Spanish, French
Meaning "honey".
Mier Spanish, English (American)
As a Spanish name relates to late summer and means "harvest" or "ripened".... [more]
Miguelañez Spanish
Derived from the given name Miguel.
Mijangos Spanish
This indicates familial origin within the eponymous neighborhood of the Castilian municipality of Merindad de Cuesta Urria.
Milán Spanish
Spanish form of Milan.
Milanés Spanish
habitational name for someone from Milan in Italy (see Milano) from milanés an adjectival form of the place name. Variant of Milan.
Minaya Spanish
From Minaya, the name of a town in Albacete province, Spain. According to the scholar Miguel Asín Palacios, the place name comes means "open and visible path" from Arabic. It has also been speculated that the place name has Basque origins, meaning "ore", "ore vein" or "asphodel pastures".
Miqueletos Spanish
From the Spanish given name Miguel.
Miramontes Spanish
Looker of mountains.
Moclin Spanish
A town positioned outside of Granada and Toledo Spain, its current occupants number in the thousands. But, 700’s this town was positioned in a mist of sprawling Moorish control. And, for the next 800 years, it was the epic center of Europe’s culture and medicine... [more]
Modernell Spanish (Latin American, Hispanicized, Modern)
Most common in Uruguay, probably of Lebanese origin, unknown meaning or etymology.
Molinares Spanish
Derived from Spanish molina meaning "mill". Possibly an occupational name for a mill worker.
Molinero Spanish
An occupational surname from molinero (“miller”).
Molino Italian, Spanish
From Spanish and Italian meaning "mill".
Monarrez Spanish
Hispanic (Mexico; Monárrez): Altered Form Of Basque Munárriz Itself A Castilianized Form Of A Habitational Name From Munarritz (Also Amunarritz In Castilian Munárriz) A Town In Navarre.
Monasterio Spanish
Means "monastery" in Spanish, denoting a person who lives or works in a monastery.
Moncada Spanish
A habitational surname, from Catalan Montcada, ultimately from monte "mountain" and an older variant of Catalonia.
Mondejar Spanish
Habitational name from a place called Mondéjar in Guadalajara province.
Mondragón Spanish
From the name of a town in Basque County, Spain, which is derived from Latin mons draconis meaning "dragon mountain".
Mondragon Spanish (Americanized), Filipino
Unaccented form of Mondragón chiefly used in America and the Philippines.
Monreal Spanish
Habitational name from any of the places called Monreal for example in Cuenca Teruel and Zaragoza provinces.
Monsivais Spanish
Hispanic (Mexico; Monsiváis): Perhaps A Topographic Name Derived From Latin Mons Silvaticus ‘Wooded Mountain’ Or A Habitational Name From Monsivalls A Hill In Ribagorza In Huesca Province (Spain) Named From Latin Monte Ipsa Vallis ‘Mount Of The Valley’.
Montalban Spanish
Spanish (Montalbán): habitational name from Montalbán de Córdoba from Latin montem albanum 'white mountain'.
Montalvo Portuguese, Spanish, Italian
Montalvo is a habitational Portuguese and Spanish surname that originated in the medieval period. It comes from the Spanish words monte, meaning "mount", and albo, meaning "white". The name was often given to families who lived near or on a white mountain or hill, and can be interpreted as "white mountain".
Monteagudo Spanish
Habitational name from any of numerous places called Monteagudo (‘pointed mountain’) from monte ‘mountain’ + agudo ‘sharp pointed’ (from Latin acutus from acus ‘needle’) for example in the provinces of Murcia Teruel A Coruña and Navarre.
Monteblanco French, Spanish
Originally from France "Mont Blanc" but translated when arrived in Spain.
Montejano Spanish
Habitational name for someone from a place called Montejo
Montemayor Spanish
Habitational name from any of several places called Montemayor, from monte meaning "mountain" + mayor meaning "main", "larger", "greater", in particular in the provinces of Cordova, Salamanca, and Valladolid.
Montenegro Spanish, Portuguese
Habitational name for someone originally from any of the various locations in Spain and Portugal named Montenegro, from Spanish and Portuguese monte meaning "mountain, hill" and negro meaning "black".
Monterosa Spanish (Latin American)
From Spanish monte meaning "mountain", and rosa meaning "pink, rose".
Monterrey Spanish
Derived from places named Monterrey. From Spanish monte meaning "mountain" and rey meaning "king".
Monterrubio Spanish
Habitational name from any of the places called Monterrubio ‘red mountain’.
Montes De Oca Spanish
Spanish surname meaning "mounts of goose".
Montesinos Spanish
Topographic name for someone who lived on a mountain from a derivative of monte 'mountain' (from Latin mons gentive montis).
Montezuma Spanish (Latin American)
Derived from the word monte meaning "hill". Most frequently used in Panama.
Montiel Spanish
This indicates familial origin within the eponymous Manchego municipality.
Montilla Spanish
Habitational name from Montilla a place in Córdoba province.
Montoro Spanish, Italian
A Spanish habitational name from any of the places called Montoro in particular those in Córdoba or Teruel provinces. Italian habitational name from any of the places called Montoro in particular Montoro Inferiore and Montoro Superiore in Avellino province.
Monzon Spanish
Habitational name from Monzón, a place in Uesca province, which is probably named from Latin montione ‘big mountain’.
Moo Mayan
From Yucatec Maya mo' meaning "macaw".
Moratalla Spanish
This indicates familial origin within the eponymous Murcian municipality.
Morejón Spanish
Derived from Spanish moreno meaning "dark".
Morera Spanish, Catalan
Means "mulberry" in Spanish and Catalan, denoting a person who lived near a mulberry tree.
Morgade Spanish
Derived from Portuguese morgado "firstborn, heir".
Moríñigo Spanish
Habitational surname from Moríñigo, Moríñigo is a municipality located in the province of Salamanca, Castile and León.
Moro Italian, Spanish
Nickname from moro "moor" from Latin maurus "moor, north african" and Italian variant of Mauro.
Moros Spanish
Habitational name from Moros in Zaragoza province, so named from the plural of moro ‘Moor’, i.e. ‘the place where the Moors live’.