South American Submitted Surnames

South American names include those from Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay, and Venezuela.
usage
Submitted names are contributed by users of this website. The accuracy of these name definitions cannot be guaranteed.
Abadilla Spanish
Variant of Badilla
Abrego Spanish
As a Spanish surname, it was from Spanish ábrego, which originally meant "African", from Latin africus. The vocabulary word in modern Spanish has lost this general sense and now means "south wind" (literally, "African (wind)").
Abril Spanish, Portuguese
from an old personal name, Abril, based on the name of the month (from Latin Aprilis, "April").
Abundio Spanish, Galician
From the given name Abundio.
Aburto Basque, Spanish, Spanish (Mexican)
The surname Aburto is a topographic name from Basque aburto ‘place of kermes oaks’, from abur ‘kermes oak’ + the locative suffix -lo.
Acampora Italian, Medieval Italian, Portuguese (Brazilian)
Acampora is a variant of Acanfora, from the medieval personal name Canfora, from canfora ‘camphor’ (from Arabic kāfūr).
Acebo Spanish
panish: Habitational Name From A Place Named Acebo, For Example In Cáceres Province; The Place Name Is From Acebo ‘Holly’ (Latin Aquifolium, Literally ‘Sharp-Leafed’).
Acero Spanish
From acero "steel, steelworker" (from Late Latin aciarium), an occupational name for a metal worker or an armorer.
Acevedo Spanish
Derived from Spanish acebedo meaning "holly grove", itself from acebo meaning "holly tree".
Achard French, South American
From the given name Achard.
Achio Spanish (Latin American)
Possibly derived from the town, Achio, near Guadalajara in Mexico. The name itself is probably from the Nahuatl achio meaning "frequent".
Acosta Spanish
Surname (from location)... [more]
Acuña Galician, Spanish
Derived from a place named "Acuña Alta".
Acuna Spanish (Latin American)
Related tho the Acuna Indians of Mexico, there is also a city by the name. Popular in border areas of Mexico and Texas.
Adão Portuguese
From the given name Adão.
Adauto Italian, Spanish, Portuguese
From the given name Adauto.
Adriano Portuguese, Spanish, Italian
From the given name Adriano.
Advíncula Spanish
Perhaps from Latin ad vincula "in chains", a title of Saint Peter.
Afonso Portuguese
Old (6th century derived) Iberian surname, associated with the first dynasty and King of Portugal, Afonso Henriques. The surname was used by all the subsequent illegitimate children of that dynastic line.
Afonso Portuguese, Galician
From the given name Afonso.
Agramonte Spanish
habitational name from Agramonte in A Coruña and Lugo (Galicia).
Agron Spanish
From the town of Agrón in Granada, Spain.
Agudo Spanish
Agudo is sharp in spanish
Aguiar Portuguese
Portuguese form of Aguilar.
Águila Spanish
From águila "eagle" (Latin aquila). This is either a nickname for a haughty man or one with an aquiline nose, or a habitational name from a place in Salamanca province called Águila.
Aguilera Spanish
Habitational name from a location in Soria province, Spain, named Aguilera, derived from Spanish aguilera meaning "eagle's nest". A famous bearer is American singer Christina Aguilera (1980-).
Agustin Spanish
From the given name Agustin.
Ahumada Spanish
topographic or habitational name from a place named with ahumar "to smoke", possibly denoting a place where ham and other meats were smoked or alternatively a place that had been cleared for settlement by burning... [more]
Aimar Medieval English, Spanish
1. From the Old English pre 7th Century personal name "Æðelmær", meaning "famous noble." ... [more]
Ainstein German (Hispanicized), Spanish (Latin American)
Hispanicized form of Einstein. Most frequently used in Argentina.
Alameda Spanish
Topographic name from alameda meaning ‘poplar grove’, a collective form of álamo meaning ‘poplar’, or a habitational name from any of the many places named with this word.
Alamillo Spanish
Spanish: topographic name from alamillo a diminutive of álamo 'poplar' or a habitational name from any of the many places called with this word in particular one in Ciudad Real.
Álamo Spanish, Portuguese
Either a topographic name from álamo "poplar" or a habitational name from any of several places in Spain and Portugal named with this word.
Alanís Spanish
This indicates familial origin within the eponymous Andalusian municipality.
Alarcón Spanish
Alarcón was a fort owned by the arabs in the Iberian Peninsula (Alarcón literally meaning 'the fort' in arabic), and the spaniards had the goal of owning it during the spanish reconquista. After 9 months of siege, Fernán Martínez de Ceballos climbed the walls of the fort using only two daggers and opened the gates from the inside allowing the castillan army to come in and conquer Alarcón... [more]
Albinez Spanish
Means "son of Albino".
Albino Italian, Portuguese, Spanish
From the given name Albino
Albo Spanish, Italian, Jewish
It is derived from the name Albert, Alberto, Albino, and Alberico.... [more]
Alcaide Spanish, Portuguese
ancient occupational or status name from alcaide from Arabic al-qāʾid "the leader, the commander" (see Kaid ). The meaning of the Spanish and Portuguese word varied depending on period and region including "castellan" "constable of a castle" "customs officer" and "jailer".
Alcalá Spanish
Derived from numerous towns with this name (fortified villages during the Moorish occupation of Spain), derived from Arabic القلعة (al-qalʿah) meaning "fortress, fortification, citadel".
Alcalde Spanish
Spanish: from alcalde 'mayor' from Arabic al-qāḍī 'the judge' a title dating from the days of Moorish rule in Spain.
Alcántara Spanish
Habitational name denoting someone originally from the municipality of Alcántara in Extremadura, Spain. The name is ultimately derived from Arabic اَلْقَنْطَرَة‎ (al-qanṭara) meaning "the bridge".
Alcântara Portuguese
Portuguese cognate of Alcántara.
Alcantara Spanish, Filipino
Simplified form of Alcántara.
Alcaraz Spanish
This indicates familial origin within the eponymous Manchego municipality.
Alcázar Spanish
habitational name from any of various places for example in the provinces of Ciudad Real Cuenca and Granada named with the word alcázar "citadel" or "palace" (from Arabic al "the" and qaṣr "fortress" a borrowing of Latin castrum; see Castro).
Alcobendas Spanish
This indicates familial origin within the eponymous Manchego municipality.
Aldea Spanish
Topographic name meaning "village, hamlet" in Spanish, ultimately from Arabic الضيعة‎ (ad-day'a).
Alderete Spanish
Habitational name from any of the places in Galicia (Spain) and Portugal called Alderete probably from a Gothic personal name or derived from the Old English personal, or first name “Aldrich,” which means old ruler
Alegre Spanish, Portuguese
Nickname from alegre "bright, merry" (Latin alacer).
Aleixo Portuguese
From the given name Aleixo.
Alejandra Spanish
Feminine form of Alejandro.
Alejandro Spanish
From the personal name Alejandro, Spanish form of Alexander.
Alejo Spanish
From the given name Alejo.
Alemán Spanish
from alemán an ethnic name for a German also used as a nickname for a Spanish person having some connection with Germany.
Alexandre French, Portuguese
From the given name Alexandre.
Alfredo Italian, Spanish, Portuguese
From the given name Alfredo.
Alhambra Spanish
Refers to the Alhambra, a palace complex located in Granada, Spain. The name itself is derived from Arabic الْحَمْرَاء‎‎ (Al-Ḥamrā) meaning "the red one" or, ultimately, from Arabic أَحْمَر (ʾaḥmar) "red".
Alicea Spanish (Latin American)
Derived from the given name Alicia.
Allende Basque, Spanish
Basque surname possibly linked to the Spanish word allende of Latin origin meaning "beyond" or "besides".
Almada Portuguese
This indicates familial origin within the eponymous city.
Almanza Spanish
Originally indicated a person from Almanza, a city in northern Spain. The city's name itself is derived from Arabic المنزل (al-manzil) meaning "the house".
Almarza Spanish
This indicates familial origin within either of 2 localities: the Castilian municipality of Almarza, Comarca of El Valle or the Riojan municipality of Almarza de Cameros.
Almazán Spanish
Habitational name demoting someone originally from the municipality of Almazán in Castile and León, Spain. The name itself is derived from Arabic المكان المحصن (al-makān al-ḥiṣn) meaning "the fortified place" or "the stronghold".
Almazan Spanish (Americanized), Filipino
Unaccented form of Almazán primarily used in America and the Philippines.
Almenara Spanish
Almenara in Spanish is "beacon", but it is an old kind of beacon that consisted of a fire that was lit on top of the battlements to give a signal.
Almodóvar Spanish
Spanish form of Almodovar.
Almodôvar Portuguese
Portuguese form of Almodovar.
Almoguera Spanish
It indicates familial origin within the eponymous Manchego municipality.
Almonte Spanish
From a place between Huelva and Sevilla. Means "the mountain".
Alpízar Spanish
This indicates familial origin within the eponymous locality in the Andalusian province of Huelva.
Altamirano Spanish
Spanish: Habitational Name For Someone From Any Of Several Places Called Altamira (See Altamira ).
Alva Spanish
Variant of Alba.
Álváez Spanish (Latin American)
Variant of Álvarez. Most frequently used in Panama.
Alvalle Spanish (Latin American)
A beautiful valley in Ortona
Alvarenga Portuguese
This indicates familial origin within either of 2 eponymous parishes.
Álvares Portuguese
Portuguese cognate of Álvarez.
Álvaro Spanish
Either derived from the given name Alvaro or a variant of Alvarez.
Alvear Spanish
Unexplained.
Alza Spanish
Means "to rise" or simply "rise"
Amadeu Portuguese
From the given name Amadeu.
Amado Spanish
From the given name Amado.
Amâncio Portuguese
From the given name Amâncio.
Amaro Spanish, Portuguese
From the given name Amaro.
Amaro Spanish
Originated in Italy
Ambrìz Spanish
" Probably a variant of Asturian-Leonese Ambres, a habitational name from a village in Asturies. Also a habitational name of Ámbriz a city in Angola, Africa, mainly of Portuguese descendants. "
Ambrocio Spanish
From the given name Ambrocio.
Américo Portuguese, Spanish
From the given name Américo.
Amiano Spanish, Portuguese
From the given name Amiano
Amora Portuguese
Meaning "blackberry".
Amore Spanish
meaning love
Amores Spanish
From a nickname for a philanderer meaning "loves" in Spanish, the plural of amor meaning "love".
Anastacio Spanish
From the given name Anastacio.
Anastasio Italian, Spanish
From the given name Anastasio.
Andaluz Spanish
Means "from Andalusia" or "from Spain", derived from the region of Spain called Andalucía, once called Al-Ándalus (a classical Arab name for the Iberian Peninsula)... [more]
Andrade Portuguese, Galician, Jewish (?)
Denoted a person hailing from one of the many areas that bear this name in Portugal and Galicia, Spain, derived from Latin andreas meaning "manly, masculine".
Andújar Spanish
This indicates familial origin within the eponymous Andalusian municipality.
Anes Portuguese
Means "son of João" in Portuguese.
Angel Spanish, Catalan, Occitan, English, Slovene
From the Latin personal name Angelus meaning "Angel", derived from the Greek word ἄγγελος (angelos) meaning "messenger" (see the given name Angel).
Anguiano Spanish (Latinized, Modern)
Anguiano is a small town in the province of La Rioja, Spain.
Aniceto Italian, Spanish, Portuguese
From the given name Aniceto.
Antigua Spanish
From Spanish meaning "antique".
Antolin Spanish
1 Spanish (Antolín): from the personal name, a vernacular form of Antoninus, a name borne by thirteen saints.... [more]
Antoñanzas Spanish
It indicates familial origin within the eponymous neighborhood of the Riojan municipality of Munilla.
Antuña Spanish
From the given name Antonio.
Antuniez Spanish, Galician, Asturian
Meaning "son of Antonius." It is a last name that appears in northern Spain.
Aparicio Spanish
Derived from the Latin word “aparitio” meaning “appearance” or “arrival”. It may also be a habitational name, indicating a person who lived near or at a place with the same name.
Apolinar Spanish
From the given name Apolinar
Apolinario Portuguese, Spanish
From the given name Apolinario; variant of Apolinar.
Apollo Italian, Spanish
From the Greek personal name Apollo. There are several saints Apollo in the Christian Church, including an Egyptian hermit and monastic leader who died in 395 ad. The personal name derives from the name in classical mythology of the sun god, Apollo, an ancient Indo-European name, found for example in Hittite as Apulana "god of the gate" (from pula "gate", cognate with Greek pylē), therefore "protector, patron".
Aponte Spanish
A misdivision of Daponte. It originates from Majorca, Spain.
Apóstol Spanish (Rare)
Means "apostle" in Spanish.
Aràbia Italian, Spanish
Ethnic name for someone from Arabia or some other Arabic-speaking country or a nickname for someone who had visited or traded with one of these countries.
Aragón Spanish
Habitational name from Aragon Spain which was an independent kingdom from 1035 to 1479. It took its name from the river Aragón which arises in its northwestern corner... [more]
Aragon Spanish, Catalan, French
A surname and an autonomous community of Spain.
Aramburo Spanish
Castilianized variant of Aramburú.
Arands English, Spanish
Anglicized version of a name given to residents of Aranda de Duero, a small town in the north of Spain.
Aranha Portuguese
Meaning spider in Portuguese.
Araquistain Basque, Spanish
''Place of the ferns'' in Basque. It first appeared when a family arrived for the first time to a part of the Pyrenees where they where a lot of ferns. Then, that family, changed their last name to ''Araquistain'' which means ''place of the ferns'' in basque.
Arboleda Spanish
From arboleda meaning "grove of trees". This is the name of a prominent Colombian family, in which case it is derived from their region of origin in Arboleya, Spain.
Archila Spanish
Either a variant of Arcila or derived from Arabic الشَّلَّال (aš-šallāl) meaning "the waterfall".
Archuleta Spanish, English
Castilianized form of Basque Aretxuloeta, a topographic name meaning "oak hollow".
Arcila Spanish (Latin American)
Means "clay" in Spanish. (compare Arcilla)
Arellano Basque, Spanish
This indicates familial origin within the eponymous Navarrese municipality.
Arencibia Spanish
Castilianized combination of the basque words of aranz meaning "thorn"; "hawthorn" + ibi meaning "ford" + a (basque article suffix); meaning someone living by a thorny ford. A "ford" is a body of water shallow enough to walk through; In this context topographically referring to a some places in Spain
Arenzana Spanish
It indicates familial origin within either of 2 La Riojan municipalities: Arenzana de Abajo or Arenzana de Arriba.
Arévalo Spanish
Habitational name from any of the places called Arévalo in the provinces of Ávila and Soria of pre-Roman origin.
Arganda Spanish (Latin American), Spanish
town in spain / arganda del rey
Argomaniz Spanish
Spanish: Habitational Name From A Place Called Argomaniz (In Castilian: Argómaniz) In The Araba/Álava Province.
Arguello Spanish
It had its cradle in the so-called Brotherhood of Argüello, formed by the councils of Val de Lugueros, Mediana de Argüello and La Tercia del Camino (León), from where its branches spread throughout Spain.
Argueta Spanish
This surname was most likely originally used to identify a person who lived in a characteristically bright or luminous area.
Arguijo Spanish
Spanish: Habitational Name From A Place Called Arguijo In Zamora Province.
Ariza Spanish
Spanish: habitational name from a place so named in Zaragoza province in Aragón.
Arjona Spanish
Habitational name from Arjona in Jaén province.
Armada Spanish (Philippines), Spanish
Taken directly from the Spanish word meaning "navy, fleet."
Armas Spanish
Occupational name for an arms maker or soldier, from Spanish armas meaning "arms, weapons".
Armendariz Spanish, Basque
from the Basque personal name Armendari or Armentari, from Latin Armentarius 'herdsman'. Spanish and French variant of Armendaritze, a habitational name from a village in Low Navarre named Armendaritze.
Armenia Italian, Catalan, Spanish, Portuguese
Ethnic name or regional name for someone from Armenia or who had connections with Armenia. This surname is derived from the feminine form of Armenio, which is ultimately from Greek Αρμένιος (Armenios) meaning "Armenian"... [more]
Armenteros Spanish
Habitational name from either of two places called Armenteros, in the provinces of Ávila and Salamanca, from the plural of armenatero meaning ‘cowherd’, from Latin armenta ‘herd(s)’.
Armijo Spanish
Derived from the Spanish adjetive "armigero", meaning "one who bears arms". First found in the Northern Region of Spain in Cantabria. Alternate spellings include: Armijos, Armigo, and Armija.
Arminio Spanish, Italian, Sicilian
From the given name Arminio.
Armona Portuguese
It indicates familial origin on the eponymous island in the municipality of Olhão.
Arola Spanish, Catalan, Occitan, English (American)
From Latin areola, diminutive of area (area).
Arredondo Spanish
habitational name from a place in Cantabria named Arredondo possibly from redondo 'round' because of the roundish shape of the hill on which it stands.
Artigas Aragonese, Catalan, Spanish
Plural form of artiga, referring to land cleared for agriculture.... [more]
Arturo Italian, Spanish
From the given name Arturo.
Ascencio Spanish, Italian
From the personal name (Latin Ascensius), favored by the early Christians, by whom it was bestowed with reference to the ascension of Christ (Late Latin ascensio).
Asunción Spanish
Means "assumption" in Spanish, referring to the bodily taking up of Mary, the mother of Jesus, into Heaven at the end of her earthly life. The unaccented form, Asuncion, is much more common.
Ataídes Portuguese
For people descending from inhabitants of Freguesia do Ataíde, in Portugal; currently part of Vila Meã, or related to the noble family who owned those lands. The place was probably named after Athanagild, 6th-century king of Visigothic Hispania and probable founder of the village.
Atamaint Shuar, Indigenous American, South American
The surname of a certain indigenous Ecuadorian politician.
Atanacio Spanish
From the given name Atanacio.
Atienza Spanish, Filipino
Habitational name from the municipality of Atienza in Guadalajara province, Spain.
Auñón Spanish
This indicates familial origin within the eponymous Manchego municipality.
Aurélio Portuguese
From the given name Aurélio
Aurelio Italian, Spanish
From the given name Aurelio
Aurora Italian, Spanish, Catalan, Occitan, Portuguese
Means "dawn" in Latin (see the given name Aurora).
Ávalos Spanish
Etymologists note the name signifies a "native of Abalos" and the progenitor was someone who hailed from that location.
Avamilano Spanish, Italian
Of Spanish origin, but probably has its roots in Italy due to the word "milano" which means Milan in Italian.
Aveiro Portuguese, Spanish
Demonymic surname refering to Aveiro a city in middle north-eastern Portugal. A famous bearer of this surname is Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo.
Avelar Portuguese
This indicates familial origin within the eponymous parish of the municipality of Ansião.
Avelino Spanish, Polynesian, Filipino
Spanish form of Avellino, the surname of the 17th-century Italian saint Andrew Avellino.
Avellaneda Spanish
It literally means "hazelnut grove", denoting someone who either lived near one or worked in one.
Avena Spanish, Italian
A traditionally Spanish and Italian occupational surname for a "grain grower or merchant", or the Italian habitation surname for Avena, Calabria. Means "oats". From the Latin avēna meaning 'oats, wild oats, straw'.
Avenida Spanish (Latin American)
The name translates to English, meaning "avenue."
Ayllón Spanish
This indicates familial origin within the eponymous Castilian municipality.
Aznar Spanish
Aznar is a Spanish surname of Basque origin and an obsolete given name. It probably stems from old Basque "azenar(i)" ('fox', modern "azeri").
Azuaje-fidalgo Portuguese (Rare), Spanish, Italian
Fidalgo from Galician and Portuguese filho de algo — equivalent to "nobleman", but sometimes literally translated into English as "son of somebody" or "son of some (important family)"—is a traditional title of Portuguese nobility that refers to a member of the titled or untitled nobility... [more]
Baamonde Spanish
habitational name from one of the Galician places called Baamonde (earlier written Bahamonde) in the province of Lugo most probably Santiago de Baamonde (Begonte).
Baca Spanish
From Spanish vaca meaning "cow".
Badillo Spanish
Topographic name from a diminutive of vado ‘ford’ (Latin vadum) or a habitational name from either of two places named with this word: Valillo de la Guarena in Zamora province or Vadillo de al Sierra in Ávila.
Badillo Spanish
One who came from Badillo (small ford), in Spain. This looks like the diminutive form of "badil" meaning a fire shovel. "Badillo" comes from "vado" meaning a place to cross the river. Other Spanish names from this name source are Vado, Bado and Vadillo.
Baez Spanish (Anglicized)
Anglicized form of Spanish Báez, which might be a different form of Peláez (cf. Páez). A famous bearer is American singer and activist Joan Baez (1941-).... [more]
Baeza Spanish
From a place called Baeza in Andalusia, Spain.
Bahamonde Spanish, Galician
Derived from Baamonde (officially called Santiago de Baamonde), a town and parish in the province of Lugo, in Galicia, Spain. This surname was borne by the Spanish dictator Francisco Franco Bahamonde (1892-1975), better known as Francisco Franco.
Bahena Spanish
Altered form of the Spanish Baena.
Balaguer Catalan, Spanish, Filipino
Habitational name for someone originally from the city of Balaguer in Catalonia, Spain.
Balbino Spanish, Portuguese, Italian
From the given name Balbino.
Baldo Italian, Spanish
From the given name Baldo.
Baldomero Spanish
From the given name Baldomero.
Baldovino Spanish
Hispanic (mainly Philippines and Colombia) and Italian: from the personal name Baldovino from ancient Germanic Baldowin (see Baldwin ).