AbregoSpanish As a Spanish surname, it was from Spanish ábrego, which originally meant "African", from Latin africus. The vocabulary word in modern Spanish has lost this general sense and now means "south wind" (literally, "African (wind)").
AbrilSpanish, Portuguese from an old personal name, Abril, based on the name of the month (from Latin Aprilis, "April").
AbundisSpanish (Mexican) The surname Abundis is patronymic from the Old Spanish personal name Abundio, ultimately from Latin abundus ‘abundant’, ‘plentiful’.
AburtoBasque, Spanish, Spanish (Mexican) The surname Aburto is a topographic name from Basque aburto ‘place of kermes oaks’, from abur ‘kermes oak’ + the locative suffix -lo.
AceboSpanish panish: Habitational Name From A Place Named Acebo, For Example In Cáceres Province; The Place Name Is From Acebo ‘Holly’ (Latin Aquifolium, Literally ‘Sharp-Leafed’).
AceroSpanish From acero "steel, steelworker" (from Late Latin aciarium), an occupational name for a metal worker or an armorer.
AcevedoSpanish Derived from Spanish acebedo meaning "holly grove", itself from acebo meaning "holly tree".
AchioSpanish (Latin American) Possibly derived from the town, Achio, near Guadalajara in Mexico. The name itself is probably from the Nahuatl achio meaning "frequent".
AgoncilloSpanish (Philippines) It is believed that the surname comes from an ancient Celtic settlement named Egon, whose ruins lie near the town of Agoncillo, La Rioja, Spain.
ÁguilaSpanish From águila "eagle" (Latin aquila). This is either a nickname for a haughty man or one with an aquiline nose, or a habitational name from a place in Salamanca province called Águila.
AguileraSpanish Habitational name from a location in Soria province, Spain, named Aguilera, derived from Spanish aguilera meaning "eagle's nest". A famous bearer is American singer Christina Aguilera (1980-).
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.
AlamilloSpanish Spanish: topographic name from alamillo a diminutive of álamo 'poplar' or a habitational name from any of the many places called with this word in particular one in Ciudad Real.
ÁlamoSpanish, Portuguese Either a topographic name from álamo "poplar" or a habitational name from any of several places in Spain and Portugal named with this word.
AlanísSpanish This indicates familial origin within the eponymous Andalusian municipality.
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]
AlaridSpanish (Mexican) (via Ancestry.com) perhaps from Catalan alarit 'outcry' (Castilian alarido). This name is not found in Catalonia, but is very common in Mexico.
AlcaideSpanish, Portuguese ancient occupational or status name from alcaide from Arabic al-qāʾid "the leader, the commander" (see Kaid ). The meaning of the Spanish and Portuguese word varied depending on period and region including "castellan" "constable of a castle" "customs officer" and "jailer".
AlcaláSpanish Derived from numerous towns with this name (fortified villages during the Moorish occupation of Spain), derived from Arabic القلعة (al-qalʿah) meaning "fortress, fortification, citadel".
AlcaldeSpanish Spanish: from alcalde 'mayor' from Arabic al-qāḍī 'the judge' a title dating from the days of Moorish rule in Spain.
AlcántaraSpanish Habitational name denoting someone originally from the municipality of Alcántara in Extremadura, Spain. The name is ultimately derived from Arabic اَلْقَنْطَرَة (al-qanṭara) meaning "the bridge".
AldeaSpanish Topographic name meaning "village, hamlet" in Spanish, ultimately from Arabic الضيعة (ad-day'a).
AldereteSpanish Habitational name from any of the places in Galicia (Spain) and Portugal called Alderete probably from a Gothic personal name or derived from the Old English personal, or first name “Aldrich,” which means old ruler
AlhambraSpanish Refers to the Alhambra, a palace complex located in Granada, Spain. The name itself is derived from Arabic الْحَمْرَاء (Al-Ḥamrā) meaning "the red one" or, ultimately, from Arabic أَحْمَر (ʾaḥmar) "red".
AllemanFrench (Cajun), Spanish (Canarian), German From the French and Spanish word for "German". Believed to have originated in the Alsace-Lorraine region. Some holders of the name migrated to the Canary Islands and are part of the larger Isleños population that settled throughout the Americas... [more]
AllendeBasque, Spanish Basque surname possibly linked to the Spanish word allende of Latin origin meaning "beyond" or "besides".
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".
AlmánzarSpanish (Caribbean) Derived from Arabic المنظر (al manẓar) meaning "the view" or "the lookout". This surname is primarily used in the Dominican Republic.
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".
AlmenaraSpanish Almenara in Spanish is "beacon", but it is an old kind of beacon that consisted of a fire that was lit on top of the battlements to give a signal.
AlmodovarSpanish Pedro Almodóvar Caballero (1949-) is a Spanish filmmaker, director, screenwriter, producer, and former actor who was born in Calzada de Calatrava, Spain. His films are marked by his employment of certain actors and creative personnel, complex narratives, melodrama, pop culture, popular songs, irreverent humor, strong colors, and glossy décor... [more]
AlmogueraSpanish It indicates familial origin within the eponymous Manchego municipality.
AmbrìzSpanish " Probably a variant of Asturian-Leonese Ambres, a habitational name from a village in Asturies. Also a habitational name of Ámbriz a city in Angola, Africa, mainly of Portuguese descendants. "
AmézquitaSpanish (Mexican) The surname Amézquita is of Basque origin and it is derived from the Basque words "amezti" which means "meadow" and "keta" which means "house". Therefore, the name roughly translates to "house in the meadow".
AmoresSpanish From a nickname for a philanderer meaning "loves" in Spanish, the plural of amor meaning "love".
AmparoSpanish (Philippines) Means "protection, shelter, refuge" in Spanish. It is taken from the title of the Virgin Mary, Nuestra Señora del Amparo, meaning "Our Lady of Refuge".
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.
AngelSpanish, Catalan, Occitan, English, Slovene From the Latin personal name Angelus meaning "Angel", derived from the Greek word ἄγγελος (angelos) meaning "messenger" (see the given name Angel).
AparicioSpanish Derived from the Latin word “aparitio” meaning “appearance” or “arrival”. It may also be a habitational name, indicating a person who lived near or at a place with the same name.
ApellidoSpanish (Philippines) This likely originated as a surname taken by people who didn't have a surname and wrote "Apellido" (the Spanish for surname) when filling in an official form.
ApolloItalian, Spanish From the Greek personal name Apollo. There are several saints Apollo in the Christian Church, including an Egyptian hermit and monastic leader who died in 395 ad. The personal name derives from the name in classical mythology of the sun god, Apollo, an ancient Indo-European name, found for example in Hittite as Apulana "god of the gate" (from pula "gate", cognate with Greek pylē), therefore "protector, patron".
AponteSpanish A misdivision of Daponte. It originates from Majorca, Spain.
AràbiaItalian, Spanish Ethnic name for someone from Arabia or some other Arabic-speaking country or a nickname for someone who had visited or traded with one of these countries.
AragónSpanish Habitational name from Aragon Spain which was an independent kingdom from 1035 to 1479. It took its name from the river Aragón which arises in its northwestern corner... [more]
ArandsEnglish, Spanish Anglicized version of a name given to residents of Aranda de Duero, a small town in the north of Spain.
AraquistainBasque, Spanish ''Place of the ferns'' in Basque. It first appeared when a family arrived for the first time to a part of the Pyrenees where they where a lot of ferns. Then, that family, changed their last name to ''Araquistain'' which means ''place of the ferns'' in basque.
ArboledaSpanish From arboleda meaning "grove of trees". This is the name of a prominent Colombian family, in which case it is derived from their region of origin in Arboleya, Spain.
ArcillaSpanish (Philippines) From Spanish arcilla meaning "clay," derived via Latin from Greek ἄργιλλος (árgillos), ultimately from ἀργός (argós) meaning "white."
ArellanoBasque, Spanish This indicates familial origin within the eponymous Navarrese municipality.
ArencibiaSpanish Castilianized combination of the basque words of aranz meaning "thorn"; "hawthorn" + ibi meaning "ford" + a (basque article suffix); meaning someone living by a thorny ford. A "ford" is a body of water shallow enough to walk through; In this context topographically referring to a some places in Spain
ArenzanaSpanish It indicates familial origin within either of 2 La Riojan municipalities: Arenzana de Abajo or Arenzana de Arriba.
ArévaloSpanish Habitational name from any of the places called Arévalo in the provinces of Ávila and Soria of pre-Roman origin.
ArguelloSpanish It had its cradle in the so-called Brotherhood of Argüello, formed by the councils of Val de Lugueros, Mediana de Argüello and La Tercia del Camino (León), from where its branches spread throughout Spain.
ArguetaSpanish This surname was most likely originally used to identify a person who lived in a characteristically bright or luminous area.
ArguijoSpanish Spanish: Habitational Name From A Place Called Arguijo In Zamora Province.
ArizaSpanish Spanish: habitational name from a place so named in Zaragoza province in Aragón.
ArmasSpanish Occupational name for an arms maker or soldier, from Spanish armas meaning "arms, weapons".
ArmendarizSpanish, Basque from the Basque personal name Armendari or Armentari, from Latin Armentarius 'herdsman'. Spanish and French variant of Armendaritze, a habitational name from a village in Low Navarre named Armendaritze.
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]
ArmenterosSpanish Habitational name from either of two places called Armenteros, in the provinces of Ávila and Salamanca, from the plural of armenatero meaning ‘cowherd’, from Latin armenta ‘herd(s)’.
ArmijoSpanish Derived from the Spanish adjetive "armigero", meaning "one who bears arms". First found in the Northern Region of Spain in Cantabria. Alternate spellings include: Armijos, Armigo, and Armija.
ArredondoSpanish habitational name from a place in Cantabria named Arredondo possibly from redondo 'round' because of the roundish shape of the hill on which it stands.
AscencioSpanish, Italian From the personal name (Latin Ascensius), favored by the early Christians, by whom it was bestowed with reference to the ascension of Christ (Late Latin ascensio).
AsunciónSpanish Means "assumption" in Spanish, referring to the bodily taking up of Mary, the mother of Jesus, into Heaven at the end of her earthly life. The unaccented form, Asuncion, is much more common.
AustriaSpanish (Philippines) From the name of the European country, either as an ethnic name or a reference to the Austrian Habsburg dynasty, which ruled Spain in the 16th and 17th centuries.
ÁvalosSpanish Etymologists note the name signifies a "native of Abalos" and the progenitor was someone who hailed from that location.
AvamilanoSpanish, Italian Of Spanish origin, but probably has its roots in Italy due to the word "milano" which means Milan in Italian.
AveiroPortuguese, Spanish Demonymic surname refering to Aveiro a city in middle north-eastern Portugal. A famous bearer of this surname is Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo.
AvellanedaSpanish It literally means "hazelnut grove", denoting someone who either lived near one or worked in one.
AvenaSpanish, Italian A traditionally Spanish and Italian occupational surname for a "grain grower or merchant", or the Italian habitation surname for Avena, Calabria. Means "oats". From the Latin avēna meaning 'oats, wild oats, straw'.
AznarSpanish Aznar is a Spanish surname of Basque origin and an obsolete given name. It probably stems from old Basque "azenar(i)" ('fox', modern "azeri").
Azuaje-fidalgoPortuguese (Rare), Spanish, Italian Fidalgo from Galician and Portuguese filho de algo — equivalent to "nobleman", but sometimes literally translated into English as "son of somebody" or "son of some (important family)"—is a traditional title of Portuguese nobility that refers to a member of the titled or untitled nobility... [more]
BaamondeSpanish habitational name from one of the Galician places called Baamonde (earlier written Bahamonde) in the province of Lugo most probably Santiago de Baamonde (Begonte).
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.
BaezSpanish (Anglicized) Anglicized form of Spanish Báez, which might be a different form of Peláez (cf. Páez). A famous bearer is American singer and activist Joan Baez (1941-).... [more]
BaezaSpanish From a place called Baeza in Andalusia, Spain.
BahamondeSpanish, Galician Derived from Baamonde (officially called Santiago de Baamonde), a town and parish in the province of Lugo, in Galicia, Spain. This surname was borne by the Spanish dictator Francisco Franco Bahamonde (1892-1975), better known as Francisco Franco.
BaldovinoSpanish Hispanic (mainly Philippines and Colombia) and Italian: from the personal name Baldovino from ancient Germanic Baldowin (see Baldwin ).
BallonSpanish Theoretically it could be a variant of vallón, from valle ‘valley’, but neither form is attested as a vocabulary word or as a place name element. Alternatively, it could be a Castilian spelling of Catalan Batlló, Balló, nicknames from diminutives of batlle ‘dancing’.English: variant spelling of Balon.
BalmacedaSpanish, Basque From Balmaseda, the name of a town and municipality in the province of Biscay, in the Basque Country of Spain. It is derived from Spanish val meaning "valley" and Basque mahatseta meaning "vineyard"... [more]
BanegasSpanish Spanish: variant of Benegas a patronymic composed of Arabic or Jewish ben 'son' + the medieval personal name Egas .
BanezSpanish Spanish (Báñez): shortened form of Ibáñez
BanuelosSpanish Spanish (Bañuelos): habitational name from any of various places, primarily Bañuelos de Bureba in Burgos, named for their public baths, from a diminutive of baños ‘baths’ (see Banos)
BarbaSpanish Spanish: nickname for a man noted for his beard, from barba ‘beard’ (Latin barba).
BarberoSpanish Spanish occupational name for a barber-surgeon (see Barber), Spanish barbero, from Late Latin barbarius, a derivative of barba ‘beard’ (Latin barba).
BarcelonaCatalan, Spanish Habitational name from Barcelona, the principal city of Catalonia. The place name is of uncertain, certainly pre-Roman, origin. The settlement was established by the Carthaginians, and according to tradition it was named for the Carthaginian ruling house of Barca; the Latin form was Barcino or Barcilo.
BárcenasSpanish This indicates familial origin within the eponymous neighborhood of the Castilian municipality of Espinosa de los Monteros.