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.
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’.
Morquecho Spanish
Castilianized Form Of Morketxo. Unexplained.
Mosqueda Spanish
Mosqueda comes from the Spanish word 'Mosca' meaning house fly.
Mosquera Spanish, Catalan
Spanish topographic name for someone who lived in a place that was infested with flies or mosquitos from a derivative of mosca "fly" (from Latin musca)... [more]
Mota Spanish, Portuguese
Topographic name for someone who lived by a fortified stronghold.
Moyano Spanish
Habitational name for someone from Moya, from an adjectival form of the place name.
Muñecas Spanish
It literally means "dolls" or "wrists".
Muñiz Spanish
Variant of Muñoz.
Murcia Spanish
Habitational name from the city Murcia.
Murillo Spanish
Habitational name for someone from any of various locations called Murillo, so named from a diminutive of Spanish muro meaning "wall".
Najar Spanish
Spanish: Most Probably A Habitational Name From Najar Alicante. Alternatively It May Be An Occupational Name For A Carpenter Of Arabic Origin
Nájera Spanish
This indicates familial origin within the eponymous Riojan municipality.
Ñáñez Spanish
Patronymic from an unidentified personal name, perhaps it's a cognate of Ibáñez.
Nápoles Spanish, Portuguese, Spanish (Caribbean)
Spanish and Portuguese cognate of Napoli; habitational name from the Italian city of Naples, which is called Nápoles in Spanish and Portuguese.
Naranjo Spanish
Topographic name for someone who lived by an orange grove, from Spanish naranjo ‘orange tree’ (from naranja ‘orange’, Arabic nāránjya), or a habitational name from a place named Naranjo in A Coruña and Códoba provinces... [more]
Narciso Italian, Spanish, Portuguese
From the given name Narciso.
Natal Portuguese, Spanish
From the personal name Natal (from Latin Natalis), bestowed on someone born at Christmas or with reference to the Marian epithet María del Natal.
Natalio Spanish
From the given name Natalio.
Natividad Spanish
From the personal name Natividad "nativity, Christmas", from Latin nativitas "birth", genitive nativitatis, usually bestowed with reference to the Marian epithet María de la Natividad... [more]
Navarra Italian, Spanish
Means Navarre in Italian and Spanish; which was also the female equivalent to Navarro.
Navarrete Spanish
From the town of Navarrete in La Rioja, Spain, meaning "the mountain pass of the Navarrans" or "dun mountain pass". It became particularly popular in the province of Jaen through the Castillian conquest of Baeza.
Navas Spanish
Pural form of Spanish and Asturian-Leonese Nava (see also Naves).... [more]
Navidad Spanish
Derived from the personal name Noel. It means "Christmas" in Spanish.
Negrete Spanish
Possibly from negrete denoting a member of a 15th-century faction based in the mountainous area of Cantabria.
Negro Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Jewish
Nickname or ethnic name from negro "black" (Latin niger), denoting someone with dark hair or a dark complexion.
Negro Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Jewish
From a medieval continuation of the Latin personal name Niger.
Negro Italian, Spanish, Galician, Portuguese, Jewish
Nickname or ethnic name from negro "black" (continuation of Latin niger), denoting someone with dark hair, dark eyes, a dark complexion, someone who wore dark clothes, someone who worked a job in the night, or was otherwise associated with the night.
Negron Spanish, Italian
This surname is a most likely variant of the word and name Negro.
Negueruela Spanish
It indicates familial origin within the eponymous La Riojan ghost town.
Nessim Spanish, Jewish, Hebrew
Hebrew for 'miracles'. Name was originally Bar-Nisim; 'Children of the Miricle'
Nic Mayan
From Mayan ‘nik’ meaning “flower”.
Nicasio Italian, Spanish
From the given name Nicasio.
Nicolás Spanish
From the given name Nicolás.
Niño Spanish
Nickname from Spanish niño meaning "child", "boy". This was often given to a first-born son as a familiar name.
Niz Spanish (Latin American, Hispanicized, Modern)
Derived from the city of Nice in France, usually a surname given to someone without paternal recognition in that city.... [more]
Noceda Spanish
Spanish surname derived from the word "nocedal" meaning "field of walnut trees" it denoted a person who lived or came from such place.
Nogales Spanish
Habitational name from either of two locations in Spain named Nogales, from the plural form of Spanish nogal meaning "walnut tree".
Nova Spanish
From the Spanish word 'nueva' meaning "new".
Obispo Spanish
Means "bishop" in Spanish, ultimately from Greek ἐπίσκοπος (episkopos).
Obregón Spanish
Spanish habitational name from Obregón in Santander province.
Ocampo Spanish, Galician
From the Galician toponym O Campo meaning "the field", also used as a habitational name from a town of the same name in Lugo, Galicia.
Ocaña Spanish
This indicates familial origin within the eponymous Manchego municipality.
Ocón Spanish
This indicates familial origin within either the eponymous Riojan municipality or the Ocón de Villafranca neighborhood of the Castilian municipality of Villafranca Montes de Oca.
Octavio Spanish
From the given name Octavio.
Olegario Spanish
From the given name Olegario.
Oliva Italian, Spanish
Of uncertain origin: derived either from a nickname to those who picked, worked with or sold olives, or from the given name Oliva.
Olivares Spanish
Habitational name from any of several places named Olivares, from the plural of Spanish olivar meaning "olive grove". Compare Portuguese and Galician Oliveira.
Olivera Spanish
Comes from the Latin etymology related to olive trees, olive grees and olives.
Olivo Italian, Spanish
Topographic name from olivo "olive tree" or occupational name for someone who sold olives. Or from the given name Olivo given to someone born on Palm Sunday.
Oña Spanish
It indicates familial origin within the eponymous municipality.
Onofre Spanish, Portuguese
From the given name Onofre.
Ordóñez Spanish
Means "son of Ordoño".
Orona Spanish
Spanish: habitational name from a town of this name in Burgos province.
Orosco Spanish, Basque
Variant of Orozco. Means "place of the holly trees" from oros meaning "holly tree" and the suffix -ko signifying a place. Also believed to have been derived from Latin orosius meaning "the son of bringer of wisdom".
Ortolano Italian, Spanish
occupational name for a cultivator or seller of fruit and vegetables ortolano "gardener" from a derivative of orto "vegetable garden" (from Latin hortus "garden"). The term was also used in the medieval period to denote both a cleric with a fervant devotion to pastoral work and a rough or uncouth person and in some instances may have been applied as a nickname in either sense... [more]
Ortonio Italian, Spanish
Variant of Ortone. Italian and Spanish form of Hortonius.
Orzabal Spanish
Used by Roland Orzabal.
Osegueda Spanish (Latin American)
Variant of Oseguera chiefly used in Central America.
Oseguera Spanish
This indicates familial origin within the eponymous neighborhood of the Castilian municipality of Valle de Mena.
Osorio Spanish
From the given name Osorio.
Osorno Spanish
From the name of a place in Palencia, a province of northern Spain.
Ostos Spanish
Habitational name from a place called Ostos which no longer exists; the surname was in the 15th century recorded near Écija in Seville.
Osuna Spanish
Habitational name from a place in the province of Seville, named from Arabic Oxuna, perhaps named from Late Latin Ursina (villa) "estate of Ursus" a byname meaning "bear".
Osvaldo Spanish, Italian, Portuguese
From the given name Osvaldo.
Oviedo Spanish, Asturian
Derived from spanish "oveja" meaning sheep.
Oyuela Spanish, Western African
The surname Oyuela is likely of Spanish or African (specifically, West African) origin, with roots in both linguistic and cultural traditions.... [more]
Pablo Spanish
From the given name Pablo.
Pabón Spanish
Variant of Pavón from Spanish pavón "peacock" from Latin pavo.
Pacana Spanish
From pacana meaning "pecan", "pecan tree", a word of Algonquin origin. This surname is also found in the Philippines.
Pagán Spanish
Castilianized spelling of Catalan Pagà, from the Late Latin personal name Paganus, which originally meant "dweller in an outlying village" (see Paine).
Palazuelos Spanish
Habitational name from any of the places called Palazuelos a diminutive of Palacios.
Palenzuela Spanish
It indicates familial origin within the eponymous municipality.
Palma Spanish, Catalan, Galician, Portuguese, Italian
Spanish, Catalan, Galician, Portuguese, and southern Italian: habitational name from any of various places named or named with Palma, from Latin palma ‘palm’. ... [more]
Palomares Spanish
Derived from Spanish "palomar," meaning "dovecote" or "columbarium". An occupational name for someone who was known for raising or caring for carrier pigeons or doves.
Palomeque Spanish
It indicates familial origin within the eponymous Manchego municipality.
Pamparacuatro Spanish
Bread-for-four in Spanish
Pancho Spanish
From the given name Pancho.
Paniágua Spanish, Portuguese
Status name for a servant who worked for his board (pan "bread" and agua "water") and lodging.
Papa Tagalog, Italian, Albanian, Romanian, Greek, Spanish, Portuguese
Means "pope, priest" in various languages.
Pareja Spanish
habitational name from Pareja in Guadalajara province.
Parras Spanish
Plural form of Parra.
Pascua Spanish
From the personal name Pascual. It also means "Easter" in Spanish.
Pastrana Spanish
This indicates familial origin within the eponymous Manchego municipality.
Patiño Spanish, Galician
From a diminutive of Spanish or Galician pato meaning "duck", used as a nickname for a person who waddled.
Pavón Spanish
Spanish cognitive of Pavone and variant of Pabón from Spanish pavón "peacock" from Latin pavo.
Pavon Spanish (Latin American)
Nickname for a proud man
Payán Spanish
Possibly derived from Mozarabic päiên meaning "cave ravine", ultimately from Latin pedem meaning "foot".
Pedra Spanish
Feminine form of Pedro.
Pedraza Spanish
Refers to the blow received from a stone thrown intentionally to wound someone.
Pedrosa Spanish, Catalan, Portuguese, Galician
Habitational name from any of numerous places named Pedrosa, from pedroso, pedrosa meaning "stoney", an adjectival derivative of pedra meaning "stone".
Peebles Scottish, Spanish (?)
Habitational name from places so named in Scotland. The place names are cognate with Welsh pebyll "tent, pavilion".
Peinado Spanish
Derived from peinado meaning "combed" (past participle of peinar meaning "to comb"), hence a nickname for a well-groomed person or for someone with naturally smooth rather than curly hair.
Pelayo Spanish
From the given name Pelayo.
Pellicer Spanish
Spanish variant of Pelletier
Peñafiel Spanish
It indicates familial origin within the eponymous municipality.
Peñalver Spanish
This indicates familial origin within the eponymous Manchego municipality.
Peñaranda Spanish
Habitational name from places in Burgos and Salamanca named Peñaranda.
Pennilope Spanish (Latin American)
Pennilope is a type of surname. It is a type of bike aswell it is almost like a tricycle with 2 sets of stabilisers.
Perales Spanish
Habitational name for someone from any of various locations named Perales, from Spanish perales meaning "pear trees" (the plural of peral meaning "pear tree").
Peralta Catalan, Spanish, Aragonese
Habitational name from any of the places in Aragon, Catalonia, and Navarre called Peralta, from Latin petra alta "high rock". This name is also established in Italy.
Peres Spanish, Catalan, Portuguese, Gascon, Breton, Central African
Means "son of Pedro" in Spanish and Portuguese. Means "son of Pere" in Catalan... [more]
Perron Spanish
Spanish (Perrón) : probably from an augmentative of perro 'dog'.
Persia Italian, Spanish
Ethnic name or regional name for someone from Persia (modern-day Iran) or some other country with Persian-speaking peoples or a nickname for someone who had visited or traded with one of these countries (see the given name Persis)... [more]
Pescador Spanish
Means "fisherman, fisher" in Spanish.
Picazo Spanish
Variant of Picasso, from Latin "pica" meaning magpie.
Pichardo Spanish
Spanish form of the surname Picard
Pico Spanish
meaning beak of a bird, or peak of a mountain in spanish... [more]
Piedrahita Spanish
Habitational name from any of the places called Piedrahita in particular those in Ávila and Teruel.
Pimentel Portuguese, Spanish
Derived from Portuguese pimenta meaning "pepper", used as an occupational name for someone who grew or sold peppers.
Piñal Spanish
Surname whose house was in Hoz de Anero, in the City council of Ribamontán al Monte (Santander).
Piñero Spanish
Castilianized from the Portuguese surname Pinheiro, meaning "pine-tree"
Pino Spanish, Galician, Italian
Spanish and Galician habitational name from any of the places in Galicia (Spain) named Pino from pino "pine" or a topographic name for someone who lived by a remarkable pine tree. Italian habitational name from Pino d'Asti in Asti province Pino Torinese in Torino or Pino Solitario in Taranto all named with pino "pine’... [more]
Pinochet Basque, French, Spanish
Derived from Basque pinoche meaning "pine cone". Alternately, it could be derived from the name of the hamlet of Pinouchet, located in the Gironde department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of France... [more]
Pintor Spanish, Portuguese, Catalan, Galician, Sardinian
occupational name for a painter from pintor "painter".
Pistario Greek, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese
Pistario is a surname, mainly used in the Greek, Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese languages.
Pita Spanish
Spanish and Portuguese: from Spanish, Portuguese pita ‘chicken’ or in some cases possibly from the plant pita ‘pita’, ‘American aloe’, presumably a topographic name.
Pizarro Spanish
One who produces, or deals in, slate.
Plasencia Spanish
habitational name from Plasencia in Cáceres province and possibly also a Castilianized form of a habitational name from Plasenzia the name of towns in Zaragoza and Huesca (Aragon).
Plata Spanish
Habitational name from places in Toledo and Cáceres provinces named Plata, or various places named La Plata.
Plata Spanish
Byname from plata "silver".
Poblete Spanish (Latin American)
Habitational name from Poblete in the province of Ciudad Real.
Polanco Spanish
Habitational name from Polanco in Santander province.
Ponce Spanish, English
The Ponce name was carried into England after the migration from Normandy following the Norman Conquest of 1066.'Ponce' is derived from 'Ponsoby',a place in Cumberland, where the family settled. The Ponce motto is 'Pro rege, lege grege' meaning "For the King, law, and people"
Ponce Spanish
Derived from Latin Pontius. Could be originated from an Ancient Roman town named "Italica" near another town named "Santiponce" in Seville, Spain.
Ponce De León Spanish
Compound name composed of the family name Ponce + the habitational name León.
Ponciano Spanish, Portuguese
From the given name Ponciano.
Porfirio Spanish, Italian
From the given name Porfirio
Portal Spanish, Catalan, Galician, Portuguese, Occitan
Topographical surname for someone living near the gates of a fortified town.
Portero Spanish
Spanish cognate of Porter.
Portillo Spanish
Meaning unknown.
Portocarrero Spanish, Spanish (Latin American)
Possibly a Spanish form of Porto Carreiro, an old municipality in Galicia, from Galician porto "port, harbour" and carreiro "path, pathway".
Portola Spanish, Portuguese, Romani (Caló)
Portola is Spanish and Portuguese for Port and is a Romani calo surname. People include Gaspar de Portolá, a Spanish explorer who was the first governor of Baja and Alta California and had many names after him in California cities and streets.
Portugal Spanish, Portuguese, English, Catalan, French, Jewish
Spanish, Portuguese, Catalan, English, French, and Jewish surname meaning ethnic name or regional name for someone from Portugal or who had connections with Portugal. The name of the country derives from Late Latin Portucale, originally denoting the district around Oporto (Portus Cales, named with Latin portus ‘port’, ‘harbor’ + Cales, the ancient name of the city)... [more]
Póveda Spanish
habitational name from any of the places called Poveda in the provinces of Cuenca Ávila Salamanca and Soria or from Póveda de la Sierra in Guadalajara.
Pozos Spanish, Galician
A habitational name from any of several places named with the plural of pozo, meaning ‘well’. See Pozo.
Pradera Spanish
Pradera is a Spanish surname meaning "meadow".
Preciado Spanish
Past participle of the infinitive preciar meaning "excellent, precious, of great estimation".
Precio Spanish (Latin American)
From Spanish meaning "price".
Préjano Spanish
It indicates familial origin within the eponymous La Riojan municipality.
Primavera Italian, Portuguese, Spanish
Means "spring (the season)" in Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish.
Príncipe Italian, Spanish
From principe "prince, heir" (Latin princeps, genitive principis, from primus "first" and capere "to take"), applied probably as a nickname for someone who gave himself airs and graces or for someone in the service of a prince.
Prudencio Spanish
From the given name Prudencio.
Pruna Spanish (Rare)
Possibly a habitational name from a place so named in Spain. It could also be derived from Catalan pruna "plum".
Puente Spanish
Habitational name from any of the numerous places named Puente, from puente ‘bridge’.
Puentes Spanish
Means "bridges" in Spanish. Originated from "puente". The surname was first found in the valley of the Trucios in the Basque region of Spain.However, families with this surname have been present in Catalonia for hundreds of years... [more]
Puerto Spanish
Habitational name from any of the numerous places named Puerto, in most cases from puerto ‘harbor’ (from Latin portus ‘harbor’, ‘haven’).
Pulido Spanish, Spanish (Latin American)
Thought to have come through Cuba and Puerto Rico from Burgos, the capital of Castile in northern Spain in the 16th century. The name likely originated there in the 11th century. It means neat, polished, and clean.
Pupillo Italian, Spanish, Portuguese
From the given name Pupillo.
Putipuerca Spanish
La vieja de Equi.
Querubín Spanish, Spanish (Philippines)
Either from the personal name Querubín, or a nickname from querubín "cherub".
Quezada Spanish
Probably a variant of Quesada.
Quintero Spanish
Habitational name from a location in Galicia named Quintero, from Galician quinteiro meaning "farmstead, square, plaza". Alternately, it may be derived from Spanish quinto meaning "fifth", possibly used as a name for a renter of quintas (a type of wine-growing estate).
Quinto Aragonese, Spanish, Catalan, Italian
Habitational surname for a person from a place called Quinto, for example in Zaragoza province. However, the high concentration of the surname in Alacant province suggests that, in some cases at least, it may derive from the personal name Quinto (from Latin Quintus denoting the fifth-born child or Catalan quinto "young soldier").... [more]
Quirino Spanish, Portuguese
From the given name Quirino.
Rabago Spanish
Habitational name from Rábago in Cantabria province.
Raij Spanish, Judeo-Spanish, Portuguese, Romani (Caló)
Borrowed from Hindi राइज (raij) meaning "rice". This surname is found among Christian and Jewish Caló families.
Raimundez Spanish
Means "son of Raimundo" in Spanish.
Ramirez Spanish (Americanized), Filipino
Unaccented form of Ramírez primarily used in America and the Philippines.
Ramón Spanish, Portuguese, Catalan
From the given name Ramón.
Ramone Spanish (Anglicized), Portuguese (Anglicized), Catalan (Anglicized)
From Spanish, Portuguese, and Catalan Ramón, from the personal name Ramón or Ramon, of Germanic origin (see Raymond).
Rascon Spanish
Possibly a nickname for Rascón, meaning “sharp”, “sour”, or “rail (the bird)”
Raya Galician, Spanish
Possibly a habitational name from Raya in Galicia or in Albacete and Murcia provinces. Possibly a topographic name from Spanish raya meaning "line", denoting the boundary between two countries or provinces.
Raymundo Spanish
From the given name Raymundo.
Real Spanish, Portuguese, Catalan, Galician
Either a habitational name from any of numerous places called Real; those in Galicia (Spain) and Portugal being named from real "royal" or as variant of Rial while those in southern Spain and Catalonia are named in part from real meaning "encampment rural property" (Arabic raḥāl "farmhouse cabin")... [more]
Rebolledo Spanish
Habitational name from any of various places called Rebolledo for example Rebolledo de la Torre in Burgos from rebollo denoting a species of oak.
Regalado Spanish, Spanish (Philippines), American (Hispanic)
Means "gifted", "pleasant", or "capable".
Reina Spanish, Portuguese
Either a habitational name from any of the places called Reina. Or most likely from the female personal name Reina 1 (from Latin Regina) otherwise a nickname from reina "queen".
Reinoso Spanish
Meaning "place of fields".
Remigio Italian, Spanish
From the given name Remigio
Rengel Spanish
Habitational name from a place called Rengel in Málaga province.
Rentería Spanish
Castilianized variant of Basque Errenteria, the name of two towns in Gipuzkoa and Biscay provinces, Basque Country. Means "customs" in Spanish.
Requena Spanish, Catalan
habitational name from Requena in Valencia or Requena de Campos in Palencia apparently so called from a short form of the various Visigothic compound personal names with the first element rīc "powerful" with the addition of the locative suffix -ena.
Reséndez Spanish
Means "son of Resendo"
Resurrección Spanish
A nickname for someone who had resurrected from the dead.
Reta Spanish
Castilianized variant of Basque Erreta, a habitational name from a town called Erreta in Navarre, Basque Country
Reyna Spanish
This could be transferred use of the first name Reyna, a variant of Reina, which means "queen".
Reynals Spanish (Rare)
Variant from Spanish word Rey "king". Most likely referred to the royalty. Variant of Reynolds.
Ribas Spanish
Variant of Rivas.
Ribera Catalan, Spanish
Habitational name from any of various locations in Spain named Ribera, derived from Catalan and Spanish ribera meaning "bank, shore".
Ricardez Spanish
Means "Son of Ricardo". Spanish form of Richardson.
Ricardo Italian, Spanish
From the given name Ricardo
Ricario Spanish
Spanish and Jewish (Sephardic): from the personal name Ricardo ( see Richard ).