AhumadaSpanish 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]
AlamedaSpanish 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.
AlarcónSpanish 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]
AlcaldeSpanish Spanish: from alcalde 'mayor' from Arabic al-qāḍī 'the judge' a title dating from the days of Moorish rule in Spain.
AlcarazSpanish This indicates familial origin within the eponymous Manchego municipality.
AlcázarSpanish, Spanish (Mexican) 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).
AllendeBasque, Spanish Means "beyond, yonder; on the other side" in Spanish, though it possibly derives from Basque aihen "vine, shoot" or ale "grain" combined with the collective suffix -di, meaning "pasture, cereal field".
AlmanzaSpanish 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".
AlmarzaSpanish 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.
AlmazánSpanish 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".
AndaluzSpanish 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]
AndújarSpanish This indicates familial origin within the eponymous Andalusian municipality.
ArmeniaItalian, 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]
AtaídesPortuguese 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.
BadilloSpanish 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.
BadilloSpanish 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.
BanegasSpanish Spanish: variant of Benegas a patronymic composed of Arabic or Jewish ben 'son' + the medieval personal name Egas .
BarajasSpanish Habitational name from any of several places in Spain, of uncertain etymology. Coincides with Spanish barajas meaning "playing cards" or "quarrels".
BarbosaPortuguese denoting a person who lived by land that contained overgrown leafy vegetation from the portuguese word barba "leaf" + oso/osa (adjective suffix); variant of Barboza
BarriosSpanish Habitational name from any of the numerous places named with Spanish barrio "outlying suburb (especially an impoverished one), slum", from Arabic barr "suburb, dependent village". It may also be a topographic name for someone originating from a barrio.
BavieraSpanish, Portuguese, Italian, Catalan Means "Bavaria" in Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, and Catalan. Indicating for someone from Bavaria a state in Germany.
BecerraSpanish, Galician Nickname probably for a high-spirited person from becerra "young cow, heifer". It may also have been a metonymic occupational name for a cowherd.
BenícioPortuguese (Brazilian) Spanish form of Benedict, from the Late Latin name Benedictus, which meant "blessed". A notable bearer is Puerto Rican actor Benicio del Toro (born 1967).
BermejoSpanish Originally a nickname for a man with red hair or a ruddy complexion, from Spanish bermejo "reddish, ruddy" (itself from Latin vermiculus "little worm", from vermis "worm", since a crimson dye was obtained from the bodies of worms).
BorreroSpanish Occupational name from borrero 'executioner'.
BotelhoPortuguese, Portuguese (Brazilian) From the Portuguese word botelho, which can denote a measure of grain, a grain sack, or seaweed, and was probably applied as an occupational name for a grain dealer or a gatherer of kelp or seaweed.
BuendíaSpanish Probably a habitational name from Buendía in Cuenca province, Spain.
BugalhoPortuguese Portuguese surname Bugalho can be written in two different ways, with a U or with a O after de first letter. This because of different pronunciation from South and North. So with U South and with O North.... [more]
CaballéSpanish Used by the Spanish Opera singer Montserrat Caballé.
CaballoSpanish, Spanish (Latin American) Derived from the Spanish word cabello, ultimately derived from the Latin word caballus, meaning "horse". This denoted someone who worked in a farm that took care of horses, or someone who had personality traits attributed to a horse, such as energetic behaviour.
CabañasSpanish, Portuguese Habitational name from a place named with Spanish cabaña or Portuguese cabanha ‘hut’, ‘cabin’.
CaixetaPortuguese (Brazilian) Portuguese common name for Tabebuia cassinoides, a tree native to Central and South America.
CajigasSpanish, Filipino Topographic name from the plural of Spanish cajigo, derived from quejigo meaning "gall oak".
CalderaSpanish Derived from Spanish caldera meaning "basin, crater, hollow", ultimately from Latin caldarium or caldaria both meaning "hot bath, cooking pot". The word also denotes a depression in volcanoes, and it is commonly used as an element for surnames denoting streams or mountains.
CamargoSpanish Habitational name for someone from a place in Andalusia called Camargo.
CanalesSpanish Spanish: habitational name from any of several places called Canales, from canales, plural of canal ‘canal’, ‘water channel’, from Latin canalis.
CandelaSpanish, Italian, Sicilian, Catalan Either an occupational name for a chandler (a candle maker or candle seller) or a nickname for a tall thin person, derived from candela meaning "candle" (from Latin candela).
CarreraSpanish, 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]
CarriónSpanish 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.
CarrizoSpanish Nickname for a person who's bold, shameless.
CayenneFrench, English, Tupi Most likely from the city of Cayenne, French Guiana or from the name of the pepper, also known as Capsicum annuum which comes from the Tupi language, specifically the word kyynha, which meant "capsicum" or "hot pepper".
CorcinoSpanish Means "little deer", a diminutive of Spanish corzo "roe deer". More commonly used outside of Spain.
CorderoSpanish 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.
CórdobaSpanish 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.
CoreanoFilipino, 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.
CoronelSpanish, Portuguese Means "colonel" in Spanish and Portuguese, used as an occupational name for someone in command of a regiment.
DeabreumPortuguese (Portuguese-style, Archaic) (de Abreu uma aldeia de são Pedro de mansões em Minho, ou Abruzzo da Itália, ou do visigótico corajoso ou valente ou capaz, ou Sefarad filho de Abraão ou céltico pinus)
De AssisPortuguese 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]
DebelenSpanish Likely from the Spanish word Belén, which refers to the nativity scene.
DelfinoItalian, Spanish From the personal name Delfino, from Latin Delphinus, from delphis "dolphin", regarded in medieval times as a symbol of goodness and friendliness.
Del ToroSpanish Means "of the bull" in Spanish, denoting a person who owns bulls or a tender of bulls.
De PaulaSpanish a Metronymic from the female personal name Paula and from a shortened form of Francisco de Paula a personal name bestowed in honor of Saint Francis of Paola
De SouzaPortuguese Means "of Sousa" in Portuguese, referring to the River Sousa flowing through northern Portugal. The word Sousa itself is derived from the Latin saxa, saxum meaning "stone, rock". The surname is more commonly used in Brazil and Portuguese-speaking African countries today.
DesuniaPortuguese, Filipino From the Portuguese word desunir meaning "disunite, separate". This surname is particularly common in the Philippines.
EscatelSpanish Derived from the Latin word “scatellum,” which means “small coin”. It is likely that the surname originally referred to someone who was involved in the production or circulation of small coins, or who had a reputation for being particularly frugal or economical... [more]