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.
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.
Meireles Portuguese
Habitational name for someone from a place called Meireles in Portugal, meaning unclear.
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.
Mendonça Portuguese
Portuguese form of Mendoza.
Mendosa Spanish
Variant spelling of Mendoza.
Menendes Portuguese (Brazilian)
Brazilian Portuguese cognate of Menéndez
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.
Menezes Portuguese
Portuguese form of Meneses.
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.
Mesquita Portuguese
Means "mosque" in Portuguese, used as a topographic name for someone who lived near a mosque.
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.
Messias Portuguese (Brazilian)
Derived from the given name Messias
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.
Militão Portuguese (Brazilian)
Locational surname denoting someone who lives near a military base.
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.
Moinho Portuguese
From Portuguese meaning "mill".
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.
Moniz Portuguese
From the medieval Portuguese first name Muhno.... [more]
Moniz Portuguese
Means "son of Munho".
Monreal Spanish
Habitational name from any of the places called Monreal for example in Cuenca Teruel and Zaragoza provinces.
Monroy Spanish
A habitational surname meaning "red mountain".
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'.
Montalto Italian, Portuguese
Habitational name from any of various places called Montalto or Montaldo especially Montalto Uffugo in Cosenza province in Italy or from a place in Portugal called Montalto from monte "hill" and alto "high" (from Latin altus).
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".
Monterei Portuguese (Brazilian)
Brazilian Portuguese cognate of Monterrey.
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’.
Moraes Portuguese
From the Portuguese form of Spanish Morales.
Moratalla Spanish
This indicates familial origin within the eponymous Murcian municipality.
Mordomo Portuguese
Means "butler" in Portuguese.
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".
Morgado Portuguese
Means "eldest brother" in Portuguese
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.
Moura Portuguese
Derived from the Portuguese word "Mouro", which refers to an individual from the Moor people. This is the feminine form of the word, often used in legends of enchanted moor women, which very common in Portugal... [more]
Moyano Spanish
Habitational name for someone from Moya, from an adjectival form of the place name.
Muñecas Spanish
It literally means "dolls" or "wrists".
Munhoz Portuguese
Portuguese form of Muñoz.
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.
Nascimento Portuguese (Brazilian)
Means "birth, nativity" in Portuguese, from Late Latin nascimentum, a derivative of Latin nasci "to be born". This was originally a religious byname. It was also an epithet of the Virgin Mary (Maria do Nascimento), and was used as a given name for children born on Christmas.
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]
Natividade Portuguese
Portuguese cognate of Natividad.
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.
Nery Portuguese
Derivation of the Scottish surname Macnair.
Nessim Spanish, Jewish, Hebrew
Hebrew for 'miracles'. Name was originally Bar-Nisim; 'Children of the Miricle'
Nicasio Italian, Spanish
From the given name Nicasio.
Nicolás Spanish
From the given name Nicolás.
Nicolau Portuguese, Galician, Catalan
From the given name Nicolau.
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".
Noronha Portuguese
Derived from Noreña, the name of a village in Asturias, northern Spain.
Nova Spanish
From the Spanish word 'nueva' meaning "new".
Novo Galician, Portuguese
Nickname from Portuguese and Galician novo ‘new’, ‘young’ (Latin novus). The word was also occasionally used in the Middle Ages as a personal name, particularly for a child born after the death of a sibling, and this may also be a source of the surname.
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".
Ortis Portuguese
Portuguese cognate of Ortiz.
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).
Paiva Portuguese
From the Portuguese word "paiva," which refers to a type of river or stream
Paixão Portuguese
Means "passion" in Portuguese, a reference to the Passion, the final period before the death of Jesus commemorated during Holy Week. It was originally used as a nickname for someone born on that day or for someone who had completed a pilgrimage on that day.
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.
Pão Portuguese
Metonymic occupational name for a baker, from pão meaning "bread"
Papa Tagalog, Italian, Albanian, Romanian, Greek, Spanish, Portuguese
Means "pope, priest" in various languages.
Par Portuguese
Derived from Portuguese meaning "pair, couple, equal".
Pardauil Portuguese
An uncommon surname possibly derived from the word pardal, meaning "sparrow".
Pareja Spanish
habitational name from Pareja in Guadalajara province.
Pariz Portuguese (Brazilian)
Brazilian Portuguese cognate or variant of Paris.
Parras Spanish
Plural form of Parra.