Browse Submitted Surnames

This is a list of submitted surnames in which the usage is South American; and the pattern is *a.
usage
pattern
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Submitted names are contributed by users of this website. The accuracy of these name definitions cannot be guaranteed.
Primavera Italian, Portuguese, Spanish
Means "spring (the season)" in Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish.
Pruna Spanish (Rare)
Possibly a habitational name from a place so named in Spain. It could also be derived from Catalan pruna "plum".
Putipuerca Spanish
La vieja de Equi.
Quaresma Portuguese
Means "Lent" in Portuguese.
Quezada Spanish
Probably a variant of Quesada.
Quintela Portuguese
Has its roots in Latin, deriving from "quintus," meaning "fifth." It likely originated from describing a person as the fifth child in a family or from the division of land among heirs, where a fifth part was given to one heir.
Raya Galician, Spanish
Possibly a habitational name from Raya in Galicia or in Albacete and Murcia provinces. Possibly a topographic name from Spanish raya meaning "line", denoting the boundary between two countries or provinces.
Reina Spanish, Portuguese
Either a habitational name from any of the places called Reina. Or most likely from the female personal name Reina 1 (from Latin Regina) otherwise a nickname from reina "queen".
Rentería Spanish
Castilianized variant of Basque Errenteria, the name of two towns in Gipuzkoa and Biscay provinces, Basque Country. Means "customs" in Spanish.
Requena Spanish, Catalan
habitational name from Requena in Valencia or Requena de Campos in Palencia apparently so called from a short form of the various Visigothic compound personal names with the first element rīc "powerful" with the addition of the locative suffix -ena.
Reta Spanish
Castilianized variant of Basque Erreta, a habitational name from a town called Erreta in Navarre, Basque Country
Reyna Spanish, Caribbean
This could be transferred use of the first name Reyna, a variant of Reina, which means "queen".
Ribera Catalan, Spanish
Habitational name from any of various locations in Spain named Ribera, derived from Catalan and Spanish ribera meaning "bank, shore".
Rita Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, Catalan
From the female personal name Rita, a reduced form of Margharita ‘Margaret’, chosen in particular in honor of a 15th-century Italian saint who bore the name in this form.
Rivadeneira Spanish
habitational name from a parish named Riba de Neira in Lugo province meaning 'bank of the river Neira' Neira being a tributary of the Miño.
Roa Spanish
Habitational name from the town of Roa (de Duero) in Burgos province, Spain.
Robleda Spanish
From Spanish meaning "oak grove".
Romaña Spanish
Habitational name from the Italian city of Romagna.
Rubalcava Spanish
Habitational name for someone originally from the town of Rubalcaba in Cantabria, Spain. The name itself is derived from Arabic الربع الخالي (ar-rubʿ al-ḵālī) meaning "the Empty Quarter", referring to the Rub' al Khali desert in the Arabian Peninsula.
Sá Portuguese, Galician
Variant spelling of Saa, a habitational name from any of the numerous places named Saa, mainly in northern Portugal and Galicia.
Saa Portuguese, Galician
Habitational name from any of the numerous places named Saa, mainly in northern Portugal and Galicia.
Saavedra Spanish, Mexican
Derived from the place-name Saavedra and therefore signifies "descendant or son of one from Saavedra". The place-name Saavedra is located in the north western province of Lugo in Galicia, Spain and is believed to be derived from the elements "Saa" meaning "Hall" and "Vedra" (feminine) meaning "Old".
Saldaña Spanish
Habitual surname for a person from any of the locations in Spain named Saldaña. The name itself comes from the older name Gili-Zalan, which is of uncertain meaning.
Saldanha Portuguese
Portuguese cognate of Saldaña.
Salvatierra Spanish
Spanish: habitational name from any of the places called Salvatierra (literally ‘save land’ denoting a place of strategic importance).... [more]
Samba Spanish
Spanish surname of unknown origin maybe from the same origin as the name for the dance. Omar Samba has this surname.
Santaella Spanish
It indicates familial origin within the eponymous Andalusian municipality at the coordinates 37°34′03″N 4°50′48″W.
Santamaría Spanish
Means "Saint Mary" in Spanish, used as a name for someone from any of various locations named after the Virgin Mary.
Santamaria Italian, French, Spanish
Italian and French cognate of Santamaría as well as a Spanish variant.
Santaolalla Spanish
From a Spanish place named for Saint Eulalia (See Olalla).
Santayana Spanish, Spanish (Philippines)
Spanish variant of Santana. This name was borne by the Spanish-American philosopher George Santayana (1863-1952).
Saraiva Portuguese
It literally means "hail".
Sardina Italian, Spanish, Galician, Mexican
From sardina Galician sardiña "sardine" used for someone as a catcher or seller of the fish or a nickname for a thin person.
Sardinha Portuguese
Portuguese last name meaning "sardine seller".
Seabra Portuguese
Habitational name from the town of Puebla de Sanabria in northwestern Spain of uncertain meaning, possibly of Arabic, Celtic or Latin origin.
Senna Portuguese
Possibly coming from the surname "Sanna", it may mean "one with a big protruding tooth".... [more]
Sequeira Portuguese, Spanish
Portuguese variant and Spanish form of Siqueira.
Serbia Spanish
Unknown.. researching history of the spanish name that was first identify being used in Utado Puerto, Rico in 1790s by Fransico Serbia and Paula Serbia Filare
Sevilla Spanish
Habitational name from the city of Seville (or Sevilla) in Andalusia, Spain. The city's name is probably derived from Phoenician 𐤔𐤐𐤋𐤄 (šplh) meaning "valley, plain" through Arabic إشبيلية (ʔišbīliya).
Sicilia Spanish, Italian
Denotes someone from Sicily.
Sigüenza Spanish
This indicates familial origin within the eponymous Manchego municipality.
Silvera Spanish
Spanish cognate of Silveira.
Silveyra Spanish
Topographic name from silveira 'woodland', a collective derivative of silva (see Silva ); or a habitational name from any of the places called Silveira in Lugo and Pontevedra provinces, Galicia, Iberia.
Silvia Portuguese (Americanized)
SILVIA is an Americanized version of the Portuguese surname Silva, which is derived from the Latin silvae and Portuguese silva words meaning “forest,” “woodland,” or “jungle.” This variation of the surname SILVA was often adopted by Portuguese immigrants upon arrival to the United States.
Siqueira Portuguese
Habitational name from numerous places called Siqueira or Sequeira in Portugal or Galicia, derived from sequeira meaning "arid land" (ultimately from Latin siccus "dry").
Sofia Spanish
From the given name Sofia.
Solana Spanish (Latin American)
Derived from solano 'place exposed to the sun'
Sonora Spanish
From Spanish sonoro meaning "sonorous", perhaps a nickname for a loud person.
Soria Spanish (Rare)
The Spanish last name, Soria, comes from a city in Spain called Soria
Spínola Portuguese
Portuguese topographic name from a diminutive of espinha ‘thorn’, ‘thorn bush’.
Sta Maria Spanish
Means "St. Mary"
Tafolla Spanish
Possibly a derivative of southern Spanish tafulla, tahulla, a term denoting a measure of land. The surname is not found in present-day Spain.
Tafoya Spanish
Possibly a variant of Tafolla.
Talavera Spanish
Spanish: habitational name from any of several places named Talavera, especially Talavera de la Reina in Toledo province.
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]
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.
Torralba Spanish, Catalan, Aragonese
Habitational name from any of several places called Torralba, named with torre meaning "tower" + alba meaning "white".
Tosta Portuguese (Brazilian), Spanish (Rare)
Perhaps a variant or shortened form of Spanish Tostado. Also compare Italian Tosto.
Traspeña Spanish
It indicates familial origin within the locality of Traspeña de la Peña in the municipality of Castrejón de la Peña.
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.
Uñalivia Spanish (Rare)
Has no specific meaning but it was a rare spanish name
Urbaneja Spanish
Likely derived from Urban. This surname is most common in Venezuela.
Valbuena Spanish
Habitational name from any of the places called Valbuena for example in Valladolid Cáceres and Salamanca.
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.
Valdivia Spanish
Topographic or habitational name based on Spanish val, valle meaning "valley". A notable bearer was Pedro de Valdivia (died 1553), a Spanish conquistador who conquered Chile with a small expedition corps after he served under Francisco Pizarro in Peru... [more]
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.
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.
Veiga Portuguese, Galician
Portuguese and Galician cognate of Vega.
Verneda Spanish, Catalan
As a Spanish and Catalan surname refers to someone who lived where alder trees grew.
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
Vilanova Portuguese, Catalan, Galician
Portuguese, Catalan and Galician cognate of Villanueva.
Villagra Spanish
Rare castilian surname, distributed throughout Spain with greater presence in Madrid, Barcelona, Valladolid and Palencia.
Villalva Spanish (Rare)
Villa meaning "Town", Alva meaning "White"
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]
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'.
Villeda Spanish
Probably from french.
Villoslada Spanish
From the village of Villoslada in Spain.
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.
Yerbabuena Spanish (Latin American)
From Spanish yerba buena meaning "good herb"
Zambrana Spanish
Likely comes from a town of the same name in Spain.
Zamora Spanish
Habitational name from Zamora, a city in northwestern Spain, of uncertain etymology. Possibly derived from Berber azemur "wild olive tree".
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.
Zaragoza Spanish, Aragonese
Habitational name from the province of Zaragoza in Aragon, from a Mozarabic form of Latin Caesaraugusta, named after Roman emperor Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus.
Zarta South American
Chiefly used in Colombia.
Zazueta Spanish
Probably a topographic name of Basque origin, from an unexplained first element + the collective suffix -eta 'place or group of'.
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.
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'
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