Top 140 Spanish Surnames or Last Names With Meanings

140 Spanish Last Names or Surnames

Spanish family names started being used in the medieval times to distinguish themselves from other races. Some Spanish surnames had Germanic roots that were introduced by the Visigoths during the 5th to 7th century while others have Latin origins. In traditional Spanish culture, an individual inherits the surname of the ancestors. In practice, they mostly use two surnames of their parents or grandparents varying as per the occasion and making them appear in a compound form that is not commonly seen in the Hispanic world. Due to immigration and colonisation, about 20 per cent of the global population have Spanish surnames. Popular Spanish last names can be descriptive, patronymic, matronymic, occupational, ornamental or refer to any particular profession and habitation, which becomes a part of a person’s family identity. This comprehensive list of Spanish surnames are as fascinating as the country and should help you to draw out your own family tree.

140 Spanish Surnames or Family Names With Meanings

This ultimate guide of the most common Spanish last names with their meanings can inspire you to select one for your newborn baby or lead you to discover your ancestral roots.

1. Abarca

Abarca is an occupational surname referring to ‘maker of leather shoes’.

2. Abaroa

Derived from the word Abaro, Abaroa means ‘refuge’.

3. Abel

Abel is derived from the Hebrew name Hevel, and it means ‘breath’.

 4. Agua

As agua means ‘water’ in Spanish, this surname refers to ‘someone who lives or works near the waterbody’.

5. Alamilla

Derived from the word Alamillo, the name means ‘a poplar tree’ or ‘aspen tree’.

6. Alcaraz

Alcaraz means ‘the cherry’ in Arabic, but it refers to the name of a place in Spain.

7.  Aldana

Derived from the name of a Basque town Aldats, Aldana refers to ‘a slope’.

8. Asturias

The surname Asturias refers to a land with many mountain springs.

9. Balcazar

Balcazar refers to ‘Belprotect the king’ in Hebrew. ‘Bel’ was the name of a king back in the Babylonian Empire.

10. Banderas

This occupational surname refers to ‘those who worked as flag-bearers’. Bandaras means ‘a flag’ or a ‘banner’ in Spanish.

11. Barbero

The name comes from a Latin word Barba, which means ‘beard’. It is an occupational surname, and also refers to barber-surgeon in Spanish.

12. Bardales

This toponymic surname refers to ‘a place covered with thorns’.

13. Baro

Baro has Germanic roots and means ‘a warrior’.

14. Basurto

Basurto may refer to a place in the Basque country.

15. Bello

Derived from Latin Bellus, Bello means ‘handsome’ or ‘attractive’.

16. Benitez

This surname translates to ‘son of Benito’. 

17. Cabello

Cabello means ‘a knight’ or ‘a person with a luxuriant growth of hair’. It is derived from the Latin word Capillus.

18. Cabrera

Derived from a Latin word, Cabrera is a habitational surname that refers to ‘a place of goats’.

19. Campana

This metonymic occupational surname denotes ‘a bell-ringer’ or ‘bell-maker’ as bells were first made in Campania.

20. Candella

This metonymic occupational surname is derived from the Spanish word Chandler, and it refers to ‘candle’ or ‘candlemaker’.

21. Cantu

This toponymic last name refers to ‘the Cantu town of Italy’.

22. Clemente

Derived from the Latin name Clemens, Clemente means ‘merciful’ or ‘gentle’.

23. Colon

A variant of the Italian word Colomba, Colon refers to ‘dove keepers’.

24. Crespo

The surname is of Spanish, Portuguese, and Italian origin and means ‘curly’.

25. Dali

Originating from Latin Dail, meaning ‘assembly’, Dali refers to ‘noble’.

26. De Jesus

This patronymic surname is derived from the name of the father meaning ‘of Jesus’.

27. Del Campo

Del campo refers to ‘someone from the del or field’.

28. Diego

Derived from the Latin word Didacus, Diego means ‘teaching’.

29. Domingo

Derived from the Latin name Dominicus, Domingo means ‘of the Lord’.

30. Duarte

The meaning of this surname is ‘prosperous guardian’.

31. Duran

Duran is derived from Latin Durus, meaning ‘hard’ and ‘steadfast’ in Jewish.

32. Echeverria

Derived from the name of a place Etxeberria (located in the Basque country of Spain), Echeverria is a toponymic last name.

33. Elizondo

Derived from the Basque word Eleiza, Elizondo refers to people who lived near or under a church.

34. Enrique

This prestigious surname is a derivative of the German Heimrich, meaning ‘home ruler’.

 35. Escarra

Derived from Esquerra, this Catalan word means ‘left-handed’.

36. Escobar

Escobar refers to ‘someone who lived in a place where brooms grow’ as Escoba means ‘broom’ in Latin.

37. Esperanza

Esperanza is a classical Spanish surname; it means ‘to hope’ or ‘expectation’ in Latin.

38. Esparza

The surname is gender-neutral and means ‘swordsman’ or ‘soldier’. 

39. Esteban

Esteban is derived from the Greek word Stephanos and Latin word Stephanus. It means ‘crown’.

40. Estrada

This toponymic surname is derived from Latin meaning ‘paved way’; it means ‘street’ or ‘road’ in Spanish.

41. Florentino

The name is of Italian and Spanish origin, and it means ‘blooming flower’.

42. Gabaldon

This surname refers to Gabaldon located in the Cuenca province of Spain.

43. Gallo

Originating from Latin Gallus, Gallo refers to a person with characteristics associated with a ‘rooster’.

44. Garcia

The meaning of this common surname is ‘brave in battle’.

45. Gasper

A variant of Jasper, Gasper has its roots in Persian and Greek, and it means ‘treasurer’ in Hebrew.

46. Gomez

Derived from the Portuguese word Goma, Gomez is composed of old Spanish elements ‘man’ and patronymic ending ‘–ez’ signifying ‘son of’.

47. Guerra

Originating from the word ‘war’ in Spanish, Guerra is a common nickname for ‘a quarrelsome person’.

48. Hernandez

This surname means ‘adventurous’. 

49. Hidalgo

Attested since the 12th century, Hidalgo refers to a ‘gentleman’ or ‘nobleman’.

50. Huerta

Huerta means ‘garden’ or ‘orchard’. It was adopted mostly by people who lived near a garden.

51. Iglesias

A variant of Iglesia, Iglesias, Yglesia, Iglesius means ‘churches’ in Spanish or ‘dweller near a church’.

52. Ignacio

Originating from the Roman family name Egnatius, Ignacio meaning ‘born from the fire’.

53. Imperial

Dating back to the 16th century, the word Imperial travelled from Geno to Spain and implied ‘royalty’.

54. Jaramillo

Jaramillo refers to a place situated in the Burgos province of Spain.

55. Jiminez

The surname is quite common and translates to ‘son of Jimeno or Simón’.

56. Juaquin

Juaquin refers to ‘lifted by God’ in Hebrew.

57. Juarez

Derived from the Latin word Sueris, Juarez refers to ‘an army’.

58. Lago

Lago refers to ‘someone living by the lake’ as it means ‘lake’ in Latin.

59. Leo

Leo originates from Italy and is a Latin name which means ‘lion-like’.

60. Lopez

This patronymic surname means ‘son of Lope’ and is derived from the Latin word Lupus, which means ‘wolf’.

61. Lorenzo

The surname is derived from the Roman surname Laurentius, which meant ‘from Laurentum’.

62. Lovato

Lovato is a Latin word derived from Lupatus; it means ‘like a wolf’.

63. Lucia

Lucia originates from the Latin word Lux meaning ‘light’.

64. Maduro

Dating back to the 12th century, Maduro refers to a sensible or mature person.

65. Mathias

The surname translates to ‘gift of God’. 

66. Manuel

Derived from Hebrew name Immanuel, this patronymic surname means ‘God is with us’.

67. Marco

Derived from the Latin word Marcus, Marco refers to the ‘Roman God Mars’.

68. Martinez

Commonly used in the Spanish regions of Cuenca, La Rioja, Martinez means ‘son of Martin’.

69. Mendoza

Originating in the Basque region, Mendoza refers to ‘a cold mountain’.

70. Najarro

The surname is a habitational name from Najarro in Cáceres province.

71. Navar

This Spanish topographic name means ‘treeless plateau’.

72. Neri

Derived from the Italian word Nero, Neri means ‘dark’ or ‘black’.

73. Noa

Noa means ‘comfort’ or ‘wanderer’ in Hebrew. It originally meant ‘movement’, ‘motion’ and is mentioned in the Old Testament.

74. Nocito

Nocito refers to a town in Uesca province of Aragon. It comes from the Latin Nucetum, which means ‘walnut orchard’.

75. Nunez

Derived from the Latin word Nonus, which means ‘ninth’. It also means ‘grandfather’.

76. Nuno

Nunez is derived from Latin Nunnus, meaning ‘tutor’.

77. Ocana

This habitational name refers to Ocana in the Toledo province of Spain.

78. Ocon

Ocon is a habitational surname for someone from the Ocon region in La Rioja Province. Derived from France, it referred to a person who lived at the corner of a street or village.

79. Olivar

This toponymic name means ‘place of olives’. It originates from Aragon kingdom of medieval Spain.

80. Olmeda

This Spanish habitational name refers to ‘stand of elm trees’.

81. Ortega

Ortega derives from a plant named Urtica, which is ‘nettle’ in Latin.

82. Ortiz

Derived from the Latin word Fortis, meaning ‘brave’, Ortiz means ‘son of Orti’.

83. Pablo

Derived from the Latin word Paulus, Pablo refers to ‘small’ or ‘little’.

84. Padron

Padron refers to a town in the Galicia province of Spain.

85. Pena

The name means ‘rock’ or ‘boulder’.

86. Perez

The surname is a patronymic surname meaning ‘son of Pero or Pedro’.

87. Pinto

Derived from the name of a place Pinto in Madrid, Pinto means ‘painted’ or ‘ colourful’.

88. Prado

Prado means ‘a meadow’ in Spanish. It refers to an inhabitant of Prado in Spain.

89. Puerta

Puerta refers to ‘someone who lived near the gates of a town’.

90. Quevedo

Quevedo refers to a place Casa de Quevedo in Albacete province.

91. Quijada

Quijada refers to a person with a prominent jaw or ‘jawbone’.

92. Quijas

Quijas is a habitational surname derived from the Cantabria province.

93. Reyes

Derived from Latin Regis, Reyes means ‘king’.

94. Rivas

Rivas is derived from the Latin word Ripa, which means ‘river bank’ or ‘someone staying near a river’.

95. Rodriguez

Derived from the Germanic name Roderick, Rodriquez refers to ‘son of Rodrigo’ and means ‘famous power’.

96. Rojas

Rojas refers to people with red complexion or red hair.

97. Romero

The surname Romero is a nickname-type of surname for a Roman or an Italian.

98. Rozario

Rozario means ‘rosary beads’ or ‘prayer beads’.

99.  Rubio

Rubio refers to people with blond hair or lightly-coloured hair.

100. Salas

Derived from Spanish, Salas refers to ‘a person who works at a manor house’.

101. Salvador

Derived from the Latin word Salvator, Salvador means ‘saviour’.

102. Salvo

Salvo comes from the Latin word Salvus, which means ‘safe’.

103. Sanchez

Derived from the medieval name Sancho, Sanchez means ‘son of Sancho’ of Iberian origin.

104. Santiago

This popular surname translates to ‘Saint James’. 

105. Santos

Santos means ‘saints’ or ‘pious person’ in Spanish.

106. Sarto

Sarto in Latin means ‘mender’, hence refers to the occupation of a ‘tailor’.

107. Sevilla

Sevilla refers to the inhabitants of the city of Seville in Spain.

108. Sotomayor

The surname Sotomayor is a habitational name from Pontevedra and Ourense provinces. 

109. Suarez

This occupational name for a swine herder; it means ‘Son of Suero’.

110. Tadeo

Tadeo is derived from the ancient Greek word Thaddaios, meaning ‘heart’.

111. Talamantes

Talamentes refers to a person belonging to Talamantes in Zaragoza province of Spain.

112. Tapia

Tapia refers to ‘wall’ or ‘mud wall’.

113. Teodoro

The surname is of Greek origin and translated to ‘gift of God’.

114. Tineo

Tineo refers to a person belonging to a place called Tineo in Asturias province of Spain.

115. Tinoco

Tinoco might have been derived from Tino, which means ‘intellect’ in Spanish.

116. Tio

Tio is a byname that means ‘uncle’.

117. Tobar

Tobar is derived from Toba or Tufa, meaning ‘porous volcanic rock’.

118. Toledo

Toledo refers to a city Toledo in central Spain.

119. Toribio

Toribio is a medieval personal name of two Spanish saints, St.Turibius of Astorga and St. Turibius of Palencia.

120. Toro

Toro is derived from Toro in Zamoro province.

121. Trinidad

Derived from the Latin Trinitas, Trinidad means ‘son of the descendant of Trinidad’ or ‘holy trinity’.

122.  Trujillo

The surname is a habitational name from the city so named in Cáceres province. 

123. Urbano

Derived from Latin name Urnabus, Urbano refers to a city-dweller.

124. Urias

Urias refers to ‘Yahweh is my light’ and is derived from the Hebrew name ‘Uriyah’.

125. Valdez

Derived from Old German word bald, Valdez means ‘son of Baldo’. Baldo is derived from another German word Bald, meaning ‘brave’.

126. Valenciano

Valenciano is derived from the city named ‘Valencia’.

127. Vasco

Derived from the Medieval Spanish and Old Basque word ‘Velasco’, Vasco means a ‘crow’.

128. Vega

As Vega means a meadow in Spanish, it refers to a ‘dweller in the meadow’.

129. Vela

Vela means ‘sail’ or ‘being watchful’ in Spanish.

130. Velasquez

The surname is patronymic in nature and translates to ‘son of Velasco’.

131. Verde

Verde means ‘green’ in Spanish.

132. Vera

The surname translates to ‘faith’.

133. Vicioso

This rare Spanish last name has its origin in Romano-Latin, and it means ‘one who lives in a village’.

134. Vidales

Vidales comes from the Latin word Vita, meaning ‘life’.

135. Villanueva

A variant of Villanova, Villanueva means ‘new settlement’.

136. Villas

Derived from Old German words Villads or Willihad, Villas means ‘desire for combat’.

137. Yanez

This patronymic surname means ‘son of Juan’. It has its origin in Hebrew.

138. Zacarias

Zacarias means ‘’God’ in Hebrew.

139. Zapata

The Spanish word Zapato means ‘a shoe’. Hence Zapata is an occupational surname for ‘shoemakers’.

140. Zarra

This habitational name from Arba province is derived from the Basque word meaning ‘iron slag’.

These unique Spanish last names have interesting meanings and sound quite flamboyant and appealing. Whether you’re looking for a fun way to spice up your identity or aching for a new moniker to suit your personality, you’re sure to find the perfect last name here that would set your soul alight.

Also Read:

Rich Last Names or Surnames With Meanings
Strong and Powerful Last Names or Surnames

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