Top 100 Dominican Last Names or Surnames

The Dominican Republic is an island country in the Caribbean that was formerly a colony of France, Spain, and Haiti. Its official language is Spanish. Dominican culture is an eclectic mix of cultural influences from the world over. Their customs originate mainly from Spaniard colonists, African slaves, and Taíno natives. There is a preference for selecting unusual names in the Dominican Republic. Quirks, like fusing together two names to form a compound, as seen in carrying both the parents’ names as family names or retaining their original family names even after marriage, lend uniqueness to Dominican surnames. Its naming practices are mainly marked by vocalisation of liquid consonants, distinctive spellings, and rhotacization affecting pronunciation, yielding more unconventional spellings. Here are some of the most popular Dominican surnames that would illustrate the best of what can come from Dominican creativity.

100 Dominican Surnames or Family Names with Meanings

Choose one among these common Dominican last names with their meanings as they portray an extraordinary predilection for naming children in distinctively “Dominican-sounding” ways.

1. Alvarez

This patronymic last name of Spanish origin means ‘son of Alvaro’. It is derived from the name of the Father. It is thought to have originated with the Visigoths.

2. Abreu

This Galician-Portuguese surname has been linked to the name Abraham (Portuguese Abraão), the Biblical figure.

3. Acosta

This surname of Portuguese origin means ‘seacoast dweller’. Derived from Spanish ‘Costilla’, it means wealth.

4. Alba

Alba means ‘white’ in Latin and ‘sunrise’ in Italian and Spanish.

5. Adames

Adames is a patronymic form of the name Adame. It has a Spanish origin, and it means ‘son of Adam’.

6. Aguilar

Derived from Aquilare in Latin, Aguilar has a Spanish origin, and it means ‘coming from Aguilas’.

7. Alcantara

Originating from Latin, Alcantara means ‘the bridge’, and it represents Spain’s Alcantara city.

8. Bello

Derived from Latin ‘bellus’, Bello in Spanish/Italian means ‘beautiful’.

9. Batista

Batista has a Greek origin, and it means ‘to baptise’. It is also a common Spanish or Portuguese surname, which literally means ‘Baptist’.

10. Brito

Brito refers to ‘someone from the town of Brito in Northern Portugal’. It corresponds to the Old Celtic ‘Britto’.

11. Beltran

The Spanish surname Beltran (Beltrán), is derived from the Germanic words ‘berht’ (bright) and ‘hramn’ (raven).

12. Castro

Castro has a Latin origin and it means ‘fortification’.

13. Chaves

Chaves has a Portuguese origin and t means ‘keys’. It is derived from the town of Chaves.

14. Candella

Originating from the word ‘Chandler’ Candella has a Spanish origin. It means ‘candlemaker’.

15. Collado

This noble surname of noble Spanish descent comes from ‘Collado’, meaning ‘hill’, or ‘mountain pass’, from Late Latin ‘collatum’.

16. Cepeda

This Spanish surname comes from Cepeda in Salamanca province. It refers to ‘cepa’, meaning ‘tree stump’, or ‘stock’ from Latin ‘cippus’, meaning ‘pillar’.

17. Colon

This Spanish surname derives from the given name Colón, meaning ‘dove’.

18. Cruz

Cruz is a surname of Iberian origin. In Spanish and Portuguese, the word means ‘cross’.

19. Diaz

Diaz originates from the Latin ‘dies’ which means ‘days’.

20. Diego

Derived from the word ‘Didacus’, this surname of Latin origin means ‘teaching’.

21. Dominguez

Dominguez has a Spanish origin mainly used to mean ‘son of Dominic’.

22. Delgado

Derived from the Latin word for ‘dainty’, Delgado has a Portuguese/Spanish origin, meaning ‘slender’.

23. Duran

Duran has a French origin, meaning ‘lasting’, from the place, Durran.

23. De Leon

De Leon has a Spanish origin, meaning ‘of the lion’, and referring to the city of Leon.

24. Espinal

This surname is of Anglo-Saxon origin. Aspinwall literally means a well near a grove of aspen trees.

25. Estrella

This Spanish surname originates from Latin ‘stella’ meaning ‘star’.

26. Feliz

This Spanish surname means ‘happy’.

27. Ferreras

A derivative of the Roman (Latin) ‘Ferrum’, meaning iron, the surname describes ‘an iron maker’.

28. Figueroa

This Spanish surname refers to ‘someone who came from Galicia’. It is named from a derivative of ‘figueira’, meaning ‘fig tree’.

29. Fortuna

Fortuna has an Italian origin, meaning ‘good fortune’.

30. Fuentes

Derived from the Latin word for ‘jet of water’, Fuentes has a French origin and it means ‘spring dweller’.

31. Flores

From the Latin ‘floris’, meaning flowers, Flores refers to ‘the dweller near an area where flowers grew’.

32. Guerrero

Derived from the names of Mexican towns and cities, Guerrero has a Spanish origin, meaning ‘warrior’.

33. Guzman

Guzman is a habitational surname of Spanish origin. It means ‘good man’.

34. Garrido

Garrido has a Spanish or Portuguese origin, meaning ‘elegant’.

35. Gomez

This Spanish patronymic surname means ‘son of Gome’.

36. González

Gonzalez has a Spanish origin, and it means ‘castle guard or ‘son of Gonzalo’.

37. Garcia

A Spanish form of Gerald, Garcia is a patronymic surname meaning ‘descendant or son of Garcia’.

38. Gil

Gil has a German origin meaning ‘protected one’.

39. Herrera

Herrera has a Spanish origin, meaning ‘a place for making ironwork’.

40. Henriquez

Commonly found in Portugal and Brazil, this patronymic surname means ‘son of Henrique (Henry)’.

41. Hernandez

Originating from Spain, Hernandez means a ‘bold voyager’, ‘Son of Hernando’.

42. Jimenez

Jimenez is a patronymic surname of Iberian origin. Its root comes from Basque semen (‘son’) meaning ‘son of Jimeno or Simón’.

43. Jaquez

Jacquez is a patronymic surname that comes from the Hebrew ‘Yaakov’, meaning ‘one who follows’ or ‘to follow after’.

44. Javier

Derived from the Hebrew name, meaning ‘my God is Yahweh’, Javier was originally borne by Catholic Saint or Spanish missionary names Francis de Xavier.

45. Lozano

On its Spanish origin, this last name means ‘exuberant’, ‘good looking’ or ‘vibrant’.

46. Lee

Derived from Old English Leah, Lee means ‘clearing’ or ‘meadow’.

47. Luciano

Derived from Latin ‘Lucianus’, a patronymic of ‘Lucius’ (Light), Luciano is an Italian, Spanish and Portuguese given name and surname.

48. Laureano

Deriving from Latin ‘Laurentius’, meaning ‘laurelled’, Laureano is a Spanish surname that means ‘laurel wreath’.

49. Martinez

Derived from the Roman God of fertility and war, Mars, this Roman surname means ‘Son of Martin’.

50. Mendez

This surname of Portuguese origin means ‘son of Mendo’.

51. Munoz

This Spanish patronymic surname means ‘son of Muño’.

52. Miranda

This Spanish and Portuguese surname of Latin origin means ‘worthy of admiration’.

53. Martin

Derived from the Roman god Mars and the Latin name ‘Martinus’, this surname means ‘Of Mars’, ‘warlike’, or ‘warrior’.

54. Morales

Derived from Latin ‘Moram’, this surname of Spanish origin refers to someone who lived by blackberry or mulberry bush.

55. Mota

Mota is a Portuguese and Spanish surname that is used for someone who lived near a fortified stronghold.

56. Noa

This surname of Hebrew origin means ‘wanderer’ or ‘comfort’.

57. Nunez

Derived from ‘Nonus’, Nunez is a Portuguese patronymic surname of Latin origin and it means ‘ninth’.

58. Nilsa

An alternate form of Scandinavian, Irish, Gaelic Nilsine, Nilsa means ‘champion’.

59. Ocon

Ocon has a French origin, meaning ‘someone living on the street of village corner’.

60. Pinto

Pinto has Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese origins, and it means ‘colourful’ or ‘painted’.

61. Perez

This Spanish and Hebrew patronymic surname means ‘son of Pero or Pedro (Peter)’.

62. Peralta

Derived from the village in Navarre, this surname of Spanish origin means ‘high rock dweller’.

63. Pimentel

This surname of Portuguese origin means ‘pepper’.

64. Quezada

Derived from Santander, Quezada has a Spanish origin and it means ‘command’.

65. Rodríguez

Rodriguez is the Spanish form of Roderick, and it means ‘son of Rodrigo’.

66. Reynoso

Reynoso has a Spanish origin, and it means ‘a glorious realm’.

67. Ruiz

This Spanish surname originates from the Germanic personal name ‘Hrodric’. It means ‘renowned and powerful’.

68. Romero

This name of Italian origin means ‘pilgrim to Rome’ or ‘Roman’. It has Italian and Spanish origins.

69. Rojas

This name of Latin origin means ‘red-coloured hair’.

70. Ramos

Ramos has a Spanish origin and meaning ‘branches’.

71. Rivera

Derived from the Lord of the Castle of Rivera in 1200s, this Spanish surname means ‘riverbank’.

72. Rubio

The Spanish surname comes from the Latin word ‘Rubeus’, which originally meant ‘red’.

73. Soriano

This Spanish surname means ‘from the Soria province’.

74. Santos

Derived from the holy one, this surname of Portuguese/Spanish origin means ‘of the saints’.

75. Sanchez

Derived from ‘sanctum’, meaning ‘holy’, this surname of Spanish origin means ‘Son of Sancto’.

76. Serrano

This Latin surname of Spanish origin means ‘mountain ridge dweller’.

77. Sosa

Sosa has a Portuguese origin and it means ‘someone from Sousa’.

78. Salas

Derived from German ‘sal’ or Spanish ‘salas’, this surname means ‘large habitable room’ or ‘hall’.

79. Tadeo

In Greek, Tadeo means ‘heart’ and is derived from ‘Thaddaios’. In Spanish, it means ‘praise’ and is a form of ‘Thaddeus’.

80. Tejada/Tejeda

Tejada/Tejeda is a Spanish name and it means ‘roof tile’, ‘lime tree’ or ‘yew tree’.

81. Tapia

Tapia means mud wall. It has a Spanish origin.

82. Torres

Of Portuguese/Spanish origin, Torres means ‘tower’. It was given to those who lived in or near towers.

83. Trinidad

Trinidad means holy trinity in Spanish and is derived from ‘Trinitas’, which refers to the son or descendant of Trinidad.

84. Tavarez

This Spanish surname means ‘a strong person who will never give up’.

85. Toribio

Toribio means ‘turbulent’ and is of Spanish origin.

86. Urena

Originating from Hebrew, this name means ‘brightness’. It is a variant of ‘Urit’.

87. Ulloa

This name comes from the Basque word ‘olo’ (oats). It is also the Gaelic name for ‘Ulía’.

88. Valdez

Of Spanish origin, it means ‘brave’, ‘from the valley’ and ‘son of Baldo’.

89. Villanueva

Villanueva is a Spanish surname that means new estate.

90. Valerio

In Latin, Valerio is derived from the verb ‘valere’, meaning ‘to be strong’.

91. Veloz

In Spanish, the surname means ‘fast’.

92. Villa

This Spanish and Italian surname refers to dweller on a large estate.

93. Vaca

94. Vega

Vega, a Spanish surname, means ‘dweller in the meadow’ or ‘one who lives in the plain’.

95. Veras

It means ‘faith’ and is of Slavic origins. In Latin, it means ‘true’ and in Spanish, it topographically means ‘riverbank dweller’.

96. Vargas

This Spanish surname means ‘steep hill/slope’ or ‘straw-covered hut’.

97. Yepez

Yepez has a Spanish origin, and it refers to someone from Yepes.

98. Yanez

A derivative of the personal name Janez, Latin Iohannes, Yanez is a Spanish variant for the name Juan.

99. Zabala

This Basque surname refers to a flat plain/a grove of evergreen trees.

100. Zorrilla

This Spanish surname is a variant of the word ‘zorra’, which means ‘fox’.

Unique Dominican family names let you explore your family history a little more. We hope this inventory will help you to choose the perfect last name that you can pair with a good first name.