Spanish names are common all over the world. Names can be unique or traditional. The names may be based on the occupations of an ancestor, a character trait, or a geographical location. No matter what the origins and roots of a Spanish name, it has a beauty and story to tell.
Popular Spanish Surnames
You will hear these last names repeatedly if you visit Spain or another country where there is a strong Spanish presence. These are some of the most popular Spanish names in the entire world.
- Diaz is a name that only 17% of Spanish people have. This means “days”
- Fernandez – Means “son Fernando”
- Garcia – The Basque word “bear” may be the origin of this name.
- Gonzalez – Could mean “warhall” or “son of Gonzalo”.
- Guzman: “cadet, person in the military” or “from Guzman village”
- Jimenez means “son of Jimeno”.
- Perez – Means “son or Pedro”
- Rodriguez – Means, “son of Rodrigo”.
- Romero means “a traveler or a pilgrim”.
- Ruiz (Ruiz) – Affects the meaning of “famous ruler”.
- Sanchez – 8th most common Spanish surname. Means “son or Sancho”.
Uncommon last names
Some Spanish last names can be heard in Spanish-centric areas, while others are seldom heard. Surnames can change over time and create rare names that are only known by a small number of people. Names can also be unique based on their meaning. Name definitions can be interesting and unique.
- Bigotes – Means “whiskers”
- Escarra means “left-handed”.
- Ladron – Means “thief”
- Lanzo – Means “to throw”.
- Escobar – Derived from “escoba”, which means “broom”.
- Feo – Means “ugly”
- Guerra – Means “quarrelsome individual”
- Padilla means “small fryingpan”
- Quijada – Means “prominent jawline”
- Seaweed – Sosa is a name that has been linked to the word “seaweed”.
- Tapia is a “mud wall”
Spanish names that stem from geography and nature
Many names are derived from specific locations on Earth. They can be derived from landmarks or can represent natural elements like animals, plants and other natural elements.
- Aguado – Means “water”
- Aguilar means “eagle”.
- Alamilla means “poplar tree or aspen”
- Alcaraz means “the cherry”.
- Aldana means “a slope”.
- Armendarez – Means “herdsman”
- Azarolla is a Spanish word for “fox”.
- Bover – Means “bull”, “ox”, or “oxen”
- Calderon means “a hollow, crater, or basin”
- Cabrera means “a place where goats live”
- Campo – Means “field”.
- Ciervo – Means “hunter”
- Cruz- Means “dweller near a cross”
- Cueva – Means “cave”
- Flores – Means “flower”
- Fonseca- “Someone who lives close to a dry spring”.
- Gallo – Means “rooster”
- Garza – Means “heron”
- Huerta means “garden or orchard”.
- Lago – Means “someone living by the lake”.
- Leon – Means “lion-like”
- Lopez – Means “wolf”
- Montes – “Someone who lives near a mountain”.
- Nocito means “walnut orchard”.
- Novar – Means “treeless flat”
- Olivarez – Means “someone living near an olive grove”
- Olmeda means “stand of Elm trees”.
- Ortega – Means “nettle plant”
- Parilla – Means “vine”, “grapevine”, or “parilla”.
- Pena – “Someone who lives near a cliff”.
- Perez – Means “stone” or “rock”
- Prado – Means “meadow”
- Raya – “Someone who lives on the border between two towns”.
- Rivera – Means “riverbank or shore”
- Vasco – Means “crow”
Spanish Last names ending in -Ez
The letter “ez” is often used to end many Spanish surnames. The letter combination “ez” signifies the phrase “son of.” Other cultures use different letter combinations to signify “son of.” In Germany and Scandinavian countries, for example, the letter combination “son” or “sen” is added to a person’s last name to indicate that they are the son of someone else.
- Hernandez – Son Of Hernando
- Gutierrez, son of Gutierre
- Marquez, son of Marcos
- Saez – Means “holy or saintly” and is the son of Santo
- Suarez means “swineherder” (son of Suero)
- Valdez, Son of Baldo
- Velasquez, son of Velasco
- Yanez – Son Juan
Surnames with Personality Traits & Characteristics
Your last name may be a reference to strength. Could it be beauty or elegance? It could be a more literal definition, such as a physical attribute. Spanish last names can refer to physical characteristics, personality traits and other qualities.
- Aceves is a Spanish word that means “holly”.
- Alegria – Means “happy or joyful”
- Alonso – Means “noble”
- Banderas – Means “flag bearer”
- Barbero – Means “beard”
- Bardales means “a place covered with thorns”.
- Bello – Means “attractive”
- Cabello – Means “covered with hair”
- Cano – Means “person who has white hair or a light complexion”.
- Clemente – Means “gentle”
- Delgado means “one who is thin”.
- Duran – Means “steadfast”
- Felix – Means “lucky”
- Florentino means “thriving” or “prosperous”.
- Moreno: “A person with dark skin or hair”
- Neri means “black” or dark.
- Pablo – Means “small”
- Pinto – Means “colorful”.
- Rubio – Means “someone who has light-colored hair”.
- Urbano – Means “elegant”
What’s in a last name?
It’s more than you think. The last name is a good place to begin your journey of discovering your family history. Your ancestors’ last names can provide valuable information about what they did, where they lived and how. It can be an exciting activity to do with your family. This is a way for you and your family to get closer and learn more about your roots.