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.
Carrera Spanish, Italian
Spanish: topographic name for someone living by a main road, carrera ‘thoroughfare’, originally a road passable by vehicles as well as pedestrians (Late Latin carraria (via), a derivative of carrum ‘cart’), or a habitational name from any of various places named with this word.... [more]
Carrión Spanish
It comes from the knight Alonso Carreño, who distinguished himself in the conquest of the town of Carrión de los Condes (Palencia), where he founded his solar house.
Carrizo Spanish
Nickname for a person who's bold, shameless.
Cartagena Spanish
From the name of the city of Cartagena in southeastern Spain, derived from Latin Carthāgō Nova meaning "New Carthage" (ultimately derived from Phonecian qrt-ḥdšt meaning "new city").
Carvoeiro Portuguese
Derived from the Portuguese word "carvão," which means "coal." It likely originated as a surname for someone who worked with or lived near coal, or it could have been a nickname based on physical characteristics or personal attributes associated with coal.
Casa Spanish, Portuguese, Italian
Means "house" in Spanish, Portuguese, and Italian.
Casabuena Spanish (Modern, Rare)
Means "Happy House" or "House of Happiness" in Spanish, with the Spanish word "Casa", which means "House" and Buena, meaning "Happy" or "Happiness".
Casado Spanish
Origin uncertain. Perhaps from casado "married", it may also be an alteration of Quesada.
Casares Spanish, Galician
One who lived in several places named "Casares".
Casarrubias Spanish
Topographic name from the plural of Spanish casa rubia ‘red house’.
Casas Spanish
Origin uncertain. Possibly from casas "houses", which was used for several location names. Alternatively, it may be a corruption of Casaus, which was the name of two French knights that helped in the conquest of Seville.
Casavantes French, Spanish, Basque
Topographic name composed of casa "house" + avant "ahead of forward" + the suffix -es, denoting one who lived in the house located at the beginning of a village. This surname has died out in France.
Cascalho Portuguese (?)
What I know about this surname is that it came from Alentejo, a region in Portugal countryside. The eldest Cascalho I know lived in Évora (city in this province) so I assume the name born there...
Casiano Spanish
From the given name Casiano.
Casillas Spanish
From any of various places called Casillas or Las Casillas, from the plural of casilla, a diminutive of Casa. ... [more]
Casio Spanish
From the given name Casio.
Cassatta Spanish (Latin American)
Spanish form of Cassata. Mostly used in Argentina.
Castanati Italian, Spanish
Italian and Spanish Origins
Castañeda Spanish
Habitational name from any of various places called Castañeda, a Spanish word meaning "chesnut grove", itself derived from castaña meaning "chesnut".
Castanheira Portuguese
Portuguese cognate of Castañeda meaning "chestnut grove".
Castanho Portuguese
Portuguese cognate of Castaño meaning "chestnut tree".
Castaño Spanish, Galician
Means "chestnut tree" in Spanish and Galician.
Castellanos Spanish
Habitational name from any of various places called Castellanos, derived from Spanish castellano meaning "Castilian".
Castelli Judeo-Italian, Italian, Spanish
Italian patronymic or plural form of Castello. ... [more]
Castelo Branco Portuguese
Means “White Castle” in Portuguese.... [more]
Castrejon Spanish
Habitational Name From Any Of Various Places Called Castrejón Especially In Valladolid Province Or A Topographic Name From A Diminutive Of Castro ‘Castle’ From Latin Castrum ‘Fort Roman Walled City’.
Catarino Spanish, Portuguese, Greek
Meaning "pure".
Cava Italian, Catalan, Spanish, Portuguese
From cava ‘cave’, ‘cellar’ (from Latin cavea), hence a metonymic occupational name for someone employed in the wine cellars of a great house, a topographic name for someone who lived in or near a cave, or a habitational name from any of numerous places named with this word.
Cavaleiro Portuguese
From a nickname derived from Portuguese cavaleiro meaning "knight", a cognate of Galician Cabaleiro.
Cebreiro Jewish, Portuguese
Cebreiro is an olive tree.
Cebrián Spanish
From the given name Cebrián.
Ceja Spanish
From a common field name or a habitational name from any of various minor places called Ceja Yecla in Aragon.
Celda Spanish (Modern, Rare), Filipino (Modern, Rare)
The Spanish word for 'cell', as in prison cell.
Celedon Spanish
Spanish (Celedón): From The Old Personal Name Celedón From Celedonio From Greek Chelidonios ‘Like A Swallow’ Through Latin Chelidonius.
Celedonio Spanish
From the given name Celedonio.
Celino Italian, Spanish
From the given name Celino
Celio Italian, Spanish
From the given name Celio
Celso Italian, Spanish, Portuguese
From the given name Celso.
Cendejas Spanish
Cendejas is a city in Guadalahara. It is short for Cendejas de la Torre.
Cenobio Spanish
From the given name Cenobio.
Centurión Spanish
Originally a nickname derived from Spanish centurión (ultimately from Late Latin centum) literally meaning "centurion". Historically, a centurion is a military officer who commanded one hundred men in an Ancient Roman army during the classical period.
Cepeda Spanish
A nickname for someone from the region where they grow vineyards.
Cera Spanish, Italian, Catalan, Sicilian
Metonymic occupational name for a wax seller, derived from Latin cera meaning "wax". A famous bearer of this surname is Canadian actor and musician Michael Cera (1988-).
Cerda Spanish, Portuguese
Nickname for a person with a prominent tuft of hair, derived from Spanish and Portuguese cerda meaning "bristle, stiff, coarse, short, thick hair", ultimately from Late Latin cirra.
Cerqueira Portuguese
Habitational name from any of various places named Cerquerira, in most cases from a Latin derivative of quercus "oak". The family name also occurs in Sicily, probably of the same origin.
Cerrajero Spanish
Occupational name for a locksmith.
Cerva Portuguese, Italian
"Cerva" means deer.
Cervera Spanish
A name for someone coming from any one of many places called Cervera, coming from Late Latin cervaria, meaning "place of stags".
Cespedes Spanish
From the plural of cesped "peat", "turf" (Latin caespes, genitive caespitis), applied as a habitational name from a place named Céspedes (for example in Burgos province) or named with this word, or a topographic name for someone who lived by an area of peat, or possibly as a metonymic occupational name for someone who cut and sold turf.
Chacon Spanish
Spanish (Chacón): nickname from chacón ‘gecko’.
Chapa Spanish
An occupational name for a metalworker meaning "metal sheet", amongst other things. It may also come from the name of a place in Galicia, Spain, or the Basque word and oak bush, "chaparro".
Chapin French, Spanish
From a reduced form of French eschapin or Spanish chapín, a term for a light (woman's) shoe; perhaps a nickname for someone who habitually wore this type of footwear or possibly a metonymic occupational name for a shoemaker.
Charlo Spanish
From the personal name Carlos
Chica Spanish
Apparently from chica, feminine form of chico ‘small’, ‘young’ (see Chico), but a variant of the habitational name Checa, from a place so named in Jaén province is also a possibility.
Chiclana Spanish
This indicates familial origin within either of 2 eponymous Andalusian municipalities: Chiclana de la Frontera or Chiclana de Segura.
Chido Spanish
Likely given to someone who lived in a cold environment
Chieco Spanish
derives from Franciscus (Frank) ... first searching for it, the SE thought I might actually have meant Chico
Chinchilla Spanish
Originally denoted a person from the Spanish town of Chinchilla de Monte-Aragón in the province of Albacete. The place name is possibly of Arabic origin.
Cifuentes Spanish
Habitational Name Probably From Cifuentes In Guadalajara Named From Spanish Cien ‘Hundred’ (From Latin Centum) + Fuentes ‘Springs’ (From Latin Fontes; See Font ) Because Of The Abundance Of Natural Springs In The Area.
Cintron Spanish
Spanish form for the french "Citroen". Original from Puerto Rico.
Ciria Spanish
This indicates familial origin within the eponymous Castilian municipality.
Ciriaco Italian, Spanish
From the given name Ciriaco.
Cirino Italian, Spanish
From the given name Cirino.
Ciro Italian, Spanish
From the given name Ciro.
Ciruela Filipino, Spanish (Rare)
From Spanish ciruela meaning "plum".
Cirujano Spanish, Filipino
Means "surgeon" in Spanish, used for someone who was a surgeon by profession.
Cisneros Spanish
Habitational name from Cisneros, a place in the province of Palencia, named with a derivative of Spanish cisne 'swan' (via Old French and Latin from Greek kyknos).
Claudio Italian, Spanish
From the given name Claudio
Clavel Spanish
Metonymic occupational name for a spice trader or a nail maker, derived from Spanish clavel or Catalan clavell meaning "nail", later also "clove", itself a derivative of Latin clavellus "nail".
Cleto Italian, Spanish, Portuguese
From the given name Cleto.
Clores Spanish, Portuguese
Portuguese form of Flores
Codorniz Spanish
Spanish word for quail. From Latin cōturnīx, cōturnīcis.
Coimbra Portuguese
Habitational name for someone from the city of Coimbra in Portugal.
Colegio Spanish
Literally means "college" in Spanish.
Collado Spanish
Referred to someone who lived on a hill.
Colmenares Spanish
It literally means "apiaries", denoting someone who either worked at some or lived near some.
Colon Spanish (Americanized), Filipino
Unaccented form of Colón primarily used in America and the Philippines.
Conceição Portuguese
Portuguese cognate of Concepción.
Concepción Spanish
Means "conception'' in Spanish, in reference to the Immaculate Conception of Virgin Mary.
Concepcion Spanish (Filipinized)
Unaccented form of Concepción primarily used in the Philippines and America.
Conde Spanish
1 Spanish and Portuguese: “nickname from the title of rank conde ‘count’, a derivative of Latin comes, comitis ‘companion’.”... [more]
Condori Indigenous American, Aymara (Hispanicized), Quechua (Hispanicized)
Derived from Aymara and Quechua kunturi meaning "condor, vulture".
Conejo Spanish
Spanish for rabbit from Latin "cuniculus". Given to someone who hunted rabbits.
Conrado Spanish
From the given name Conrado
Contardo Italian, Spanish
From the given name Contardo.
Corcovado Spanish
Means "hunchback" in Spanish. It would denote a person with a curved spine.
Cordeiro Portuguese, Galician
Means "young lamb" in Portuguese and Galician (Latin cordarius, a derivative of cordus "young", "new")... [more]
Cordero Spanish
Means "lamb" in Spanish, either used as an occupational name for a shepherd or a religious name referring to Jesus as the Lamb of God.
Córdoba Spanish
Indicates someone who was originally from the city of Córdoba (Cordova) in Andalusia, Spain. The name itself is derived from Phonecian Qʾrtuba meaning "Juba’s city", itself from Phonecian qʾrt meaning "city" and juba referring to King Juba I of Numidia.
Coreano Filipino, Spanish, Portuguese
Means "Korean" in Spanish and Portuguese, possibly an ethnic name or regional name for someone from Korea or who had connections with Korea.
Cornelio Italian, Portuguese, Spanish
From the given name Cornelio. Cognitive of Cornell and Cornelius.
Coronado Spanish
from coronado "crowned" past participle of coronare "to crown" (from Latin corona "crown") applied as a nickname for someone who behaved in an imperious manner or derived from the village Coronado in Galacia.
Coronado Spanish (Latin American), American (Hispanic), Spanish (Philippines)
Means "crowned." This was possibly a nickname for one resembling a clergyman who has received the tonsure.
Coronel Spanish, Portuguese
Means "colonel" in Spanish and Portuguese, used as an occupational name for someone in command of a regiment.
Corrales Spanish
Habitational name for someone originally from any of the various locations named Corrales in Spain, from Spanish corral meaning "coral, enclosure".
Corso Italian, English (American), Spanish (Latin American), Portuguese (Brazilian)
Either derived from the given name Bonaccorso or taken from Italian and Spanish corso, denoting someone who lived in Corsica.
Corte Spanish, Catalan, Italian, Portuguese
From corte ‘court', applied as an occupational name for someone who worked at a manorial court or a topographic name for someone who lived in or by one.
Cortês Portuguese
Portuguese form of Cortés.
Corvino Italian, Spanish
From the given name Corvino
Corvo Italian, Portuguese
From the given name Corvo
Coutinho Portuguese
Diminutive of Couto.
Crescencio Spanish
From the given name Crescencio
Criado Portuguese, Spanish
Occupational name from criado ‘servant’.
Crispim Portuguese
Derived from the given name Crispim.
Cristales Central American, Filipino, Spanish (Mexican, Rare), South American (Rare)
Plural form of Spanish cristal meaning "crystal."... [more]
Cristóbal Spanish
From the given name Cristóbal.
Crus Spanish
Variant of Cruz.
Cuadrado Spanish
A nickname for a thick man.
Cuaresma Spanish
It means "Lent".
Cuarto Spanish
Means "fourth" in English. It is derived from the Latin word "quartus," which means "fourth." The surname may have originally been used to denote a fourth child in a family or to indicate that the family lived on the fourth floor of a building.
Cuba Portuguese, Asturian-Leonese, Galician, Spanish
habitational name from any of the places in Portugal (in the provinces of Alentejo and Beira Baixa) or Spain (in Aragon, Asturies, and Galicia) named Cuba, from cuba ‘barrel’ (from Latin cupa)... [more]
Cubero Spanish
occupational name for a cooper, from an agent derivative of cuba ‘barrel’, ‘tub
Cuello Spanish, South American
From Spanish meaning "neck". Could be a nickname for a person with a stiff neck.
Cuenca Spanish
Cuenca is an ancient Spanish last name which originated from Cuenca, a city in the Kingdom of Castilla.... [more]
Cuervo Spanish
Means "raven, crow" in Spanish, ultimately from Latin corvus. From a nickname for a man with strikingly glossy black hair or with a raucous voice. Alternatively, a habitational name from places containing this word (e.g. El Cuervo, Teruel).
Custódio Portuguese
From the given name Custódio.
Custodio Spanish
From the given name Custodio.
Da Cruz Portuguese
A variant of Cruz, with the addition of the preposition 'da' (meaning 'of the' or 'from the').
D'Almeida Spanish, Portuguese, Indian (Christian)
Variant of Almeida more commonly used by Indian Christians.
Da Lua Portuguese
Means "of the moon" in Portuguese.
Da Luz Portuguese
From a religious epithet meaning ‘of the light’, specifically the Marian name "Nuestra Señora da Luz" (which means "Our Lady of the Light").
Damián Spanish, Czech, Slovak (Rare)
From the given name Damián.
Damian French, Spanish, Italian, Czech, Slovak, Polish
From the medieval personal name Damian, Greek Damianos (from damazein "to subdue"). St. Damian was an early Christian saint martyred in Cilicia in ad 303 under the emperor Domitian, together with his brother Cosmas... [more]
Da Paz Portuguese (Brazilian)
Means "of Peace" in Portuguese.
Da Ponte Italian, Portuguese, Galician
A topographic name, which means "from the bridge".
Da Rocha Portuguese, Galician
A common topographic name which means ‘from the rock' (rocha).
Da Rosa Portuguese
Literally means "of the rose" in Portuguese. It is generally a component of personal names; among women, it is a Marian name; among men, it is of uncertain application.
Da Vila Portuguese, Galician
A topographic name for someone from a village (vila).
Davila Spanish
Habitational name for someone from Ávila.
Daza Spanish
Derived from the Basque word "dazio", meaning "tax". It is a surname that is typically associated with the region of Navarre in Spain.
Dealava Spanish
Uruguay name
De Assis Portuguese
Referred to a person who was originally from the town of Assisi (called Assis in Portuguese) in Umbria, Italy. This surname is borne by several Brazilian soccer players, including Ronaldinho (1980-; birth name Ronaldo de Assis Moreira) and João Alves de Assis Silva (1987-), who is usually called simply Jô... [more]
Debain Spanish
Spanish surname.
Debarros Portuguese
Portuguese: habitational name for someone ‘from (de) Barros’, of which there are numerous examples, all named from the plural of barro ‘clay’.
Debelen Spanish
Likely from the Spanish word Belén, which refers to the nativity scene.
De Castro Portuguese, Spanish
Denoted someone who lived in a castle.
De Costa Portuguese (Brazilian), Sinhalese
Variant of Da Costa used in Brazil and Sri Lanka.
De Cunha Portuguese (Brazilian), Sinhalese
Variant of Cunha used in Brazil and Sri Lanka.
De Deus Portuguese (Brazilian)
Means "of God" in Portuguese.
De Guzmán Spanish
Means "of Guzmán" in Spanish.
De Jesús Spanish (Latin American)
Means "of Jesus" in Spanish.
De Jesus Portuguese (Brazilian), Spanish (Philippines), American (Hispanic)
Means "of Jesus" in Portuguese. This is also an unaccented variant of De Jesús.
De Labra Spanish (Rare)
Spanish Surname With Origins From Asturias.
De La Calle Spanish
Means "of the street" in Spanish.
De La Calzada Spanish (Rare)
Means "of the causeway" in Spanish. This surname was likely given in honor of Dominic de la Calzada, a saint from Burgos.
De La Hoya Spanish
Means "of the hole" in Spanish.
De La Iglesia Spanish
Means “of the church” in Spanish.
De La Isla Spanish
Means "of the island" in Spanish.
De La Luna Spanish, Filipino
Means "of the moon" in Spanish.
De La Mora Spanish
"De la," in several Romance languages (including Spanish and Romanian), means "from." "Mora," in Spanish, translates to "mulberry."... [more]
De La Muerte Spanish (Rare)
Means "of death" in Spanish. Name given to a person who worked as a graveyard worker.
De La O Spanish
"O" is the archaic form of "Do" - apocope of "donde" - where, the personal name of a woman in the Hispanic world, and a French name of the twelfth century.
De La Parra Spanish
Means "of the vine" in Spanish.
De La Peña Spanish
Means "of the Rock" in Spanish.
De La Presa Spanish
Means "of the dam" in Spanish.
De La Rosa Spanish (Latin American)
Means "of the Rose" in Spanish.
Delarosa Spanish
Means "of the rose" in Spanish.
De La Sierra Spanish
Means "of the mountain range" in Spanish.
De Las Nieves Spanish
Means "of the snows" in Spanish.
De La Torre Spanish
Topographic name "from (de) the tower (la torre)", i.e. someone who lived by a watchtower, "from (de) the tower (la torre)".
De La Vega Spanish
Means "of the meadow" in Spanish.
Del Campo Spanish
Means "of the camp" in Spanish.
Del Carmen Spanish
Means "of Carmen" in Spanish.
Del Castillo Spanish
Means "of the Castle" in Spanish, referring to someone who worked in one.
Delfin Spanish
Meaning "dolphin" in Spanish.
Delfino Italian, Spanish
From the personal name Delfino, from Latin Delphinus, from delphis "dolphin", regarded in medieval times as a symbol of goodness and friendliness.
Delgadillo Spanish
Diminutive of Delgado.
De Lima Spanish
"de Lima" is the surname given to the people who lived near the Limia River (Lima in portuguese) on the Province of Ourense, an autonomous community of Galicia, located at the northwest of Spain. The root of the name is Don Juan Fernandez de Lima, maternal grandson to the King Alfonso VI de León (1040-1109).
Della Italian, Spanish
Likely derived from the Italian and Spanish word della, meaning "of the".
Del Mar Spanish
Means "of the sea" in Spanish.
De Los Reyes Spanish
Means “of the kings” in Spanish.
De Los Santos Spanish
Means "of the saints" in Spanish.
Del Pueblo Spanish
Means "of the village" in Spanish.
Del Rosario Spanish, Filipino
Means "of the rosary" in Spanish.
Del Rosario Spanish
Del Rosario, in Spanish and Italian languages, and do Rosário in Portuguese language (English: of the rosary) is a surname that has as its etymology, the Latin preposition, "de" meaning "of the" and the Latin noun "rosarium", meaning "rosegarden"1 or "garland of roses"2 but in this case, takes the meaning of "rosary", the Roman Catholic devotion to the Virgin Mary... [more]
Del Sol Spanish
Means "of the sun" in Spanish.
De Luna Spanish
Means "of the moon" in Spanish.