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.
Talamantes Spanish
Habitational name from Talamantes in Zaragoza province
Talavera Spanish
Spanish: habitational name from any of several places named Talavera, especially Talavera de la Reina in Toledo province.
Tallón Spanish
Either a Spanish variant of Catalan Talló (see Tallo) or a habitational name from any of the places in A Coruña, Ourense, and Pontevedra provinces called Tallón.
Tamayo Spanish
from a town in the burgos region in spain.
Tarancón Spanish
It indicates familial origin within the eponymous Manchego municipality.
Tardáguila Spanish
Tardáguila is a Spanish surname that is believed to have originated from the Basque region of Spain. The surname is a combination of the words "tarda", which means late, and "aguila", which means eagle... [more]
Tartaro Spanish
Ethnic name or regional name for someone who was from Tatarstan or who had traded with Tatarstan.
Teixeria Portuguese, English (Rare)
Variant of Teixeira, more commonly used in the United States likely by American-Portuguese citizens
Tejada Spanish
Meaning "roof" or "lime tree."
Tejeda Spanish
Variant of Tejada.
Tejero Spanish
Occupational Spanish surname for a tiler, its origin may be in Saragossa, Spain. A famous bearer is Antonio Tejero, a Lieutenant Colonel who was responsible for the 23-F coup attempt.
Téllez Spanish
from the given name Tello which is the Spanish form of the name Tellus, meaning "earth" in Latin
Tenorio Spanish
Possibly a habitational name from a place called Tenorio in Pontevedra province, Spain.
Tercero Spanish
Means "third" in Spanish (see Tercero).
Tesoro Spanish, Italian
from tesoro "treasure" (from Latin thesaurus "hoard") applied as a metonymic occupational name for a treasurer. In some cases this may be a habitational name from El Tesoro in southern Spain... [more]
Tiago Portuguese
From the given name Tiago.
Tiburcio Spanish
From the given name Tiburcio
Tico Spanish
From the given Tico.
Timoteo Spanish, Portuguese, Italian
From the given name Timoteo.
Tirado Spanish
Likely a nickname for a person with long limbs, from the Spanish tirado meaning "stretched".
Tobar Spanish
This indicates familial origin within the eponymous Castilian municipality.
Tobías Spanish, Catalan, Galician, Jewish
From the given name Tobías.
Toledo Spanish
Habitational name from the city of Toledo in Spain, derived from Latin Toletum of uncertain meaning.
Tolentino Spanish, Filipino, Portuguese, Italian (Rare), Judeo-Italian
Ultimately derived from the name of a town in the province of Macerata, Italy (see Tolentino). This was adopted as a Spanish given name in honour of the 14th-century Italian saint and mystic Nicholas of Tolentino... [more]
Tomás Spanish, Portuguese, Irish
From the given name Tomás.
Tomé Portuguese
From the given name Tomé.
Torcato Portuguese
From the given name Torcato.
Toribio Spanish
From the given name Toribio.
Toro Spanish, Italian
Either a habitational name from Toro in Zamora province. Compare De Toro . Or a nickname for a lusty person or for someone who owned a bull or a metonymic occupational name for a tender of bulls or possibly for a bull fighter from toro "bull" (from Latin taurus).
Torquato Italian, Portuguese
From the given name Torquato
Torralba Spanish, Catalan, Aragonese
Habitational name from any of several places called Torralba, named with torre meaning "tower" + alba meaning "white".
Torras Spanish (?)
Means 'towers' in Spanish. Similar to name Torres.
Torre Italian, Spanish, Portuguese
Italian cognitive and, Spanish and Portuguese variant of Torres. From torre "tower" (from Latin turris).
Torrent Spanish
A topographical name for someone who lived by a flood stream, deriving from the Spanish torrente. Topographical surnames were among the earliest created, since both natural and man-made features in the landscape provided easily recognisable distinguish names in the small communities of the Middle Ages... [more]
Torrez Spanish
Variant of Torres.
Torriente Spanish (Latin American, Rare)
Cuban name likely meaning "river".
Torrubiano Spanish
It indicates familial origin within the municipality of Torrubia de Soria.
Toscano Italian, Spanish
Originally indicated someone who came from the region of Tuscany in central Italy.
Traspeña Spanish
It indicates familial origin within the locality of Traspeña de la Peña in the municipality of Castrejón de la Peña.
Trejo Spanish
Spanish habitational surname, for someone from Trexo, a place in Asturias in northwest Spain.
Treviño Spanish
Habitational name from either of the places so named in the provinces of Burgos and Santander.
Triano Spanish
Possibly a habitational name from Triano, the Castilianized name of the Basque towns called Abanto and Urtuella, in Biscay province, Basque Country.
Trigueros Spanish
Habitational name from places in Huelva and Valladolid named Trigueros, from a derivative of trigo ‘wheat’, or possibly triguero ‘corn merchant’. Nickname from triguero ‘dark blond’, ‘corn colored’.
Trillo Spanish
It literally means "threshing board".
Trindade Portuguese, Portuguese (Brazilian)
Means 'of the trinity' in Portuguese.
Trinidad Filipino, Spanish
Means "trinity" in Spanish, referring to the Holy Trinity.
Truan Spanish
Means "Knave" or "Joker"
Trueba Spanish
This indicates familial origin within the vicinity of the eponymous Castilian river.
Uceda Spanish
This indicates familial origin within the eponymous Manchego municipality.
Uclés Spanish
This indicates familial origin within the eponymous Manchego municipality.
Umpiérrez Spanish
Means "son of Umpierro" in Spanish. The medieval given name Umpierro is of uncertain meaning.
Uñalivia Spanish (Rare)
Has no specific meaning but it was a rare spanish name
Urbano Italian, Spanish
From the given name Urbano.
Vaamonde Spanish
Variant of the habitational surname Bahamonde, from one of the Galician places called Baamonde (earlier written Bahamonde) in the province of Lugo most probably Santiago de Baamonde (Begonte).
Vaca Spanish
Means "cow" in Spanish.
Vagula Estonian, Brazilian
Vagula is the name of a village and a lake in Võru Parish, Võru County in southern Estonia.
Val Spanish, French
It means valley. It comes from Britain and then moved to Aragón (Spain).
Valadez Asturian, Spanish, Mexican
Asturian-Leonese variant of Valdez.
Valbuena Spanish
Habitational name from any of the places called Valbuena for example in Valladolid Cáceres and Salamanca.
Valderrábano Spanish
It indicates familial origin within the eponymous municipality.
Valderrama Spanish
Habitational name from any of the places named Valderrama, as for example in Burgos province.
Valderrama Spanish
This surname is made up of the prefix "bal-" from latin "vallis," the equivalent of prefix "-valle" meaning a vale or a valley plus the Spanish "derramare" - to scatter or to spread. Hence, implies valley which is spread out.
Valdivieso Spanish
This place-name is derived from the Asturian word val-di-vieso, which means old man's-valley.
Valdovinos Spanish
Spanish: from a personal name of ancient Germanic origin composed of the elements bald 'bold brave' + win 'friend'.
Valenciano Spanish
A Spanish surname. It is a regional name denoting someone from Valencia.
Valente Italian, Galician, Portuguese
Italian, Galician, and Portuguese: nickname from valente ‘brave’, ‘valiant’.... [more]
Valentim Portuguese
From the given name Valentim.
Valentín Spanish, Slovak
From the given name Valentín.
Valentins English, Portuguese
Derived from the given name Valentin.
Valenzuela Spanish
Habitational name from places named Valenzuela in Córdoba and Ciudad Real. The place name is a diminutive of Valencia, literally "Little Valencia".
Valera Spanish
Habitational name from either of two places in Spain named Valera.
Valério Portuguese
From the given name Valério.
Valez Spanish
I think it is of Spanish Background possibly meaning 'Soldier' or 'Guard'. ... [more]
Valgañón Spanish
This indicates familial within the eponymous Riojan municipality.
Vali Spanish, Italian(Swiss), Arabic
This Spanish and Italian surname of VALI was a locational name for someone OR A family who lived in a valley. In valle quiescit ( In the valley of our home, we find peace.)... [more]
Valladolid Spanish
Habitational name from the city of this name.
Valle Spanish, Filipino, Italian
Habitational name from any of the many places named with valle "valley", or topographic name for someone who lived in a valley (Latin vallis).
Vallejo Spanish
Denoted someone who lived in a small valley.
Valverde Spanish
Refers to a place name which suggests a landscape, agreeable with herbs, flowers and water.
Vanderlei Brazilian
It derives from the Dutch surname Van der Leij/Ley. The surname arrived in Brazil by Kaspar Nieuwhoff Van Der Leij by 1630, a cavalry captain from the Dutch army.
Vaquero Spanish
occupational name from vaquero "cowboy".
Vario Italian, Spanish
From the given name Vario. Also means "various" in Italian.
Vazquez Spanish (Americanized), Filipino
Unaccented form of Vázquez primarily used in America and the Philippines.
Vea Spanish, Galician
Habitational name, principally from Vea in Soria province, but in some cases from any of four places with the same name in Pontevedra province, Galicia.
Vecino Spanish
Spanish form of Voisin.
Veiga Portuguese, Galician
Portuguese and Galician cognate of Vega.
Vejas Spanish
An altered form of the surname Behar
Vélez Spanish
Patronymic from the personal name Vela.
Vélez Spanish
Habitational name from any of various places in Andalusia called Vélez.
Velêz Portuguese
Possibly a habitational name from Vellés in Salamanca.
Veloso Spanish
From the Brazilian Spanish word for fast.
Venegas Spanish
From the hybridization of Ben, meaning "son" in Arabic or Jewish, and Ega(s), a medieval given name of Visigothic origin.
Vera Spanish
Habitational name for someone from any of the various locations in Spain named Vera or La Vera from Spanish meaning "shore, bank".
Veracruz Spanish
Originally denoted a person from Veracruz, Mexico, from Latin vera crux meaning "true cross".
Verano Spanish
Means 'summer' in Spanish. (See Summer)
Verde Italian, Spanish, Portuguese
From Spanish verde "green" (Latin viridis), presumably a nickname for someone who habitually dressed in this color or had green eyes, etc. This is also a common element of place names.
Verdejo Spanish
Habitational name from any of the places so called.
Verdugo Spanish
Occupational name meaning "executioner".
Verdun French, English (British, Rare), Spanish, Catalan
From the various locations in France called Verdun with the Gaulish elements ver vern "alder" and dun "hill fortress" and Verdú in Catalonia, English variant of Verdon
Vergino Esperanto, Brazilian
Taken from the Esperanto word vergino meaning "virgin".
Veríssimo Portuguese
From the given name Veríssimo.
Verneda Spanish, Catalan
As a Spanish and Catalan surname refers to someone who lived where alder trees grew.
Veron French, Spanish
Nickname for someone with bi-colored eyes. This surname is mostly frequent in Argentina.
Veyera Portuguese (Modern)
Originated in East Providence, RI about 1900 variation of the common Vieira portuguese surname.
Victoria Portuguese
Transferred use of the given name Victoria
Victoriano Spanish
From the given name Victoriano
Victorino Spanish
From the given name Victorino
Videgain Spanish
Videgain is a surname. It is of Basque origin language with the form Bidegain. Videgain is considered a Spanish surname because the letter V does not exist in the Basque alphabet. It extended through the Iberian peninsula following the Reconquista, where different forms of the name developed and houses were founded with the differentiation of Videgáin, Bidegain, Videgaín... [more]
Viegas Portuguese (Rare)
Portuguese variant of Venegas.
Viejo Spanish
From Spanish meaning "old".
Vigil Spanish
Comes from the word "vigil", which is Latin for "vigilia" and "wakefulness".
Vilaamil Spanish
Habitational name from Villamil a place in Asturias.
Villafañe Spanish
Derived from the village of Villafañe in Leon, Spain. His hierarch, perhaps, is the Burgos hidalgo Alvar Fañez.
Villafuerte Spanish (Latin American), Spanish (Philippines)
Denoted someone who came from the name of the municipality of Villafuerte de Esgueva in the province of Valladolid, Castile and León, Spain.
Villagra Spanish
Rare castilian surname, distributed throughout Spain with greater presence in Madrid, Barcelona, Valladolid and Palencia.
Villagran Spanish
From a lost village called Villa Grande, meaning 'large farmstead or settlement'.
Villalpando Spanish
It first came from a Spanish village town.
Villalvazo Spanish
Hispanic (Mainly Mexico): Derivative Of Spanish Villalba Or Villalva .
Villamar Spanish
Spanish: Habitational Name From Any Of The Three Places Called Villamar In Lugo (Galicia) Oviedo (Asturias) Or Burgos (Castilia).
Villamayor Spanish
Habitational name for any of the numerous places in Spain with this name.
Villamizar Spanish
Habitational name from Villamizar in León.
Villanova Italian, Spanish
Habitational name from any of numerous places so called from Latin villa nova "new settlement" (see Villa) from the elements villa "town" and nova "new"... [more]
Villaquirán Spanish
It indicates familial origin within either of 2 municipalities: Villaquirán de los Infantes or Villaquirán de la Puebla.
Villard Galician, Portuguese
A Galician and Portuguese surname in the north of Iberian Peninsula. It's a last name belonging to ancient Celtic tribes.
Villareal Spanish (Philippines), Spanish (Latin American), American (Hispanic)
Variant of Villarreal primarily used in the Philippines and Columbia.
Villarreal Spanish
Habitational name from any of various places called Villarreal (or Villareal), derived from Spanish villa meaning "farm, town, settlement" and real meaning "royal".
Villarrubia Spanish
Spanish: habitational name from Villarrubia (Córdoba) Villarrubia de los Ojos (Ciudad Real) or Villarrubia de Santiago (Toledo) so named from villa '(outlying) farmstead (dependent) settlement' (see Villa ) + rubia 'light red'.
Villarruel Spanish
Cognate of Villa with the second element of unexplained etymology. Compare Villarroel.
Villasante Spanish
This indicates familial origin within the eponymous neighborhood of the Castilian municipality of Merindad de Montija.
Villasenor Spanish
Habitational name, apparently a Castilianized spelling of Galician Vilseñor, from any of three places in Lugo province named Vilaseñor.
Villatoro Spanish
Presumably a name given to someone from Villatoro, Spain
Villavicencio Spanish (Latin American), Spanish (Philippines)
Denoted someone who came from the name of the municipality of Villavicencio de los Caballeros in Castile and León, Spain.
Villeda Spanish
Probably from french.
Villegas Spanish
Habitational name from the municipality of Villegas in Burgos province, Spain.
Villoslada Spanish
From the village of Villoslada in Spain.
Vinagre Spanish, Portuguese
An occupational surname for someone who sells vinegar.
Viniegra Spanish
This indicates familial origin within either of 2 Riojan municipalities in the Comarca of Anguiano: Viniegra de Arriba or Viniegra de Abajo.
Vinuesa Spanish
It indicates familial origin within the eponymous municipality.
Viramontes Spanish
Viramontes is composed of the elements "mira" and "montes," two Spanish words with the combined meaning of "place with a view of the mountains."
Virgem Portuguese
Portuguese form of Virgo.
Virgen Spanish
Spanish form of Virgo.
Virgil Spanish
From the given name Virgil.
Virtuoso English (American), Spanish, Italian
This Italian surname could possibly be connected to those whose ancestors were involved in playing a musical instrument or somehow connected to the musical instrument industry.
Vitorino Portuguese
From the given name Vitorino
Vivanco Spanish
This indicates familial origin within the Castilian locality of Vivanco de Mena.
Vivar Spanish, History
From the village of Vivar, later renamed Vivar del Cid, nowadays part of Quintanilla Vivar located near Burgos, Castile and León, Spain.... [more]
Vizinho Portuguese
Portuguese form of Voisin.
Wero Spanish (Latin American), Maori
Maori: Means "to cast a spear"... [more]
Xavier Portuguese, French, English
Derived from the given name Xavier.
Ximenes Portuguese
Portuguese form of Jiménez.
Xisto Portuguese
Means "schist" or "shale" in Portuguese. Can also be found in Brazil.
Yagüe Spanish
It is possibly derived from a name for someone born on St James' Day, from Old Spanish Santi Yague, a common medieval form of Santiago.
Yáñez Spanish
Patronymic of JUAN.
Yepes Spanish
Habitational name from Yepes in the province of Toledo (named as Hippo or Hipona in or before Roman times).
Yerbabuena Spanish (Latin American)
From Spanish yerba buena meaning "good herb"
Yupanqui Quechua (Hispanicized)
Hispanicized form of Quechua yupanki meaning "accountant".
Zaldívar Basque, Spanish
Derived from Basque zaldi meaning "horse" combined with ibar meaning "valley". This is also the name of a town in Biscay, Spain.
Zambrana Spanish
Likely comes from a town of the same name in Spain.
Zamora Spanish
Comes from the ancient city of Zamora in Northwest Spain. It means "wild olives."
Zapata Spanish
Occupational surname for a shoemaker, from Spanish zapato meaning "shoe". It can also be considered a habitational name for someone originally from any of the various locations in Spain called Zapata.
Zapato Spanish
Means "shoe" in Spanish.
Zaragoza Spanish, Aragonese
Name given to someone who was from the city Zaragoza in the Aragon region in Spain.
Zárate Spanish
Habitational surname meaning "entrance to the grove coppice".
Zarta South American
Chiefly used in Colombia.
Zavattari Italian, French, Spanish, Romanian
A derivation of the Old French word 'savate'... [more]
Zayas Spanish, Caribbean
Derives from the Basque word 'zai', meaning watchman or guard.
Zeferino Portuguese
From the given name Zeferino
Zegarra Spanish (Latin American)
Possibly a Castilianized form of the Catalan Segarra.
Zuleta Spanish, Basque
Variant of Zulueta, which comes from the Basque topographic name 'zulo' meaning ‘hole hollow’ + the collective suffix '-eta' meaning "place or group of."
Zúñiga Spanish
Spanish form of Zuñiga.
Zurdo Spanish
Means "left-handed" in Spanish.
Zurita Spanish, Aragonese
An Aragonese surname derived from the Stock Bird, a species of bird.
Zurita Spanish
Habitational surname from either of two places called Zurita in Huesca and Cantabria named with a derivative of Basque zuri 'white'