Most Common Spanish Last Names and Meanings
- Garcia - Son of Garcia.
- Rodriguez - Son of Rodrigo or son of Roderick.
- Gonzalez - Son of Gonzalo.
- Fernandez - Son of Fernando.
- Lopez - Son of Lope.
- Martinez - Son of Martin.
- Sanchez - Son of Sancho. The Spanish personal name Sancho translates to "sanctified."
- Perez - Son of Pedro, the Portuguese and Spanish equivalent of the name...
- Gómez - Son of Gome.
What are some common Hispanic last names?
Unique Spanish Names with English Meanings
- Rivera - The Spanish word for "riverbank".
- Iglesias - Plural of the Spanish word for church.
- Serrano - A topographic name for someone who lived by the mountains. ...
- Morales - A topographic name that translates to "mulberry tree" in English.
- Cabrera - A place name meaning "place of goats"
Why do Hispanics have multiple last names?
The surnames in Spanish families are tied to traditions of land, wealth, social status and religion. For a Spanish person, their whole name, including two surnames, correctly identifies them and their parents. This identity is deeply rooted in the histories of their ancestors and the names they carried.
What are the most common Spanish last names?
- Garcia: A medieval personal name of an uncertain origin. ...
- Garza: A noble surname. ...
- Gomez: Common Spanish surname that hardly translates into “man.”
- Gallo: It literally means “rooster,” given to someone with some of the attributes associated with the rooster.
- Gaspar: It is from the personal name also found int Catalan, French, Hungarian and Portuguese.
What are some cool Spanish last names?
What are some cool Spanish last names? Uncommon Spanish last names. Abarca – maker of leather shoes. Alcaraz – cherry. Barbero – beard, barber. Cabrera – a place of goats. Candella – chandler, candlemaker. Del Campo – the person from the field. Echeverria – a place Etxeberria in the Basque country.
Which last name goes first in Spanish?
paternalIn Spain and Spanish American countries, except Argentina, each person has two surnames. Traditionally, the first surname is paternal and comes from the father, while the second surname is maternal and comes from the mother.
Does mom or dad's last name go first Hispanic?
Spanish names are the traditional way of identifying, and the official way of registering, a person in Spain. They comprise a given name (simple or composite) and two surnames (the first surname of each parent). Traditionally, the first surname is the father's first surname, and the second is the mother's.
How do you alphabetize Hispanic last names?
Alphabetize Spanish names by the full surnames. Even persons commonly known by the maternal portions of their surnames, such as Lorca, should be alphabetized by their full surnames. A biographical dictionary may provide assistance in distinguishing surnames and given names.
Which last name goes first in Latin America?
father's surnameRegarding surnames, according to those laws, if no agreement has been reached, the first surname shall be the father's surname (paternal surname), and the second surname shall be the mother's surname (maternal surname, or maiden surname). Women do not change their surnames upon marriage in Uruguay.
How do Hispanic last names work?
NamingMexicans have a personal name(s) followed by two surnames – the father's paternal family name and then the mother's paternal family name. ... The first of the surnames (the father's family name) is used alone to address people, whilst the second family name (the mother's) is rarely used in isolation.More items...
Which last name goes first?
Which name goes first? It's totally up to you but it's most common for your last name to be the first (the person hyphenating) and your spouse's second (assuming your spouse isn't hyphenating). I'm choosing to hyphenate my last name.
What is the order of Spanish names?
Spaniards have a personal name(s) followed by two surnames – the father's paternal family name and then the mother's paternal family name. For example: Hector Marίa GONZALEZ LÓPEZ. People may have two personal names (e.g. Hector Marίa). The second personal name does not always reflect the gender of the person.
Why do Hispanic have 2 last names?
The two surnames names are ancestral, with the father's family name followed by the mother's family name. In Colombia, for example, “Ernesto Escobar Vega” uses two surnames (“Escobar Vega ”) as his legal name, with “Escobar” coming from his father and “Vega” coming from his mother.
How are Spanish names listed?
Spanish names do not follow the first name + middle name + surname structure. They are made of first name + first surname + second surname. Exactly. Spaniards do not have middle names, but they do have two family names.
Does the father's last name go first in Mexico?
In Latin America babies get two last names, the father's surname followed by the mother's paternal surname.
What last name comes first in Mexico?
In Mexico and other Spanish-speaking cultures, children are given two last names--one from each parent. The father's last name, known as the apellido paterno, is listed first, followed by the mother's last name, or apellido materno.
What order do you hyphenate last names?
Generally, there are no set rules or etiquette when it comes to deciding exactly how your hyphenated last name will read. You can go the "traditional" route and list your "maiden" name first, or you could choose to list your new last name first, followed by your original last name.
Where does the first Hispanic surname come from?
The Hispanic double surname system traces back to the nobility class of Castile in the 16th century. The first surname generally comes from the father and is the primary family name, while the second (or last) surname comes from the mother.
What was the Hispanic name pattern in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries?
During the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, Hispanic naming patterns were less consistent. It wasn't unusual, for example, for male children to be given the surname of their father, while females took the surname of their mothers.
Can a woman have all three surnames?
Some women also choose to use all three surnames. Because of this, children will have a different double surname than either of their parents, as their name is made up of (as discussed previously) their father's first surname (the one from his father) and their mother's first surname (the one from her father).
Do Hispanic women keep their father's name?
In most Hispanic cultures women generally keep their father's surname ( maiden name) throughout their life. At marriage, many choose to add their husband's surname in place of their mother's surname, sometimes with a de between their father's and husband's surnames.
Table Key
To help you understand the above table, below is a description of each column and what it represents.
Where Do Hispanic Surnames Come From?
Hispanic surnames are generally from one of four origins. They are either patronymic/matronymic, occupational, geographic, or based on a description of the person.
How Have Hispanic Surnames Changed Over Time?
Now it’s important to note that these categories only apply to Spanish last names. When the Spanish conquered Central and South America, it was filled with numerous indigenous peoples who had their own form of naming themselves.
Why Do Most Hispanic People Have Two Surnames?
You may have noticed one of your Hispanic friends has two surnames. Or maybe you have two surnames but never understood why. The reason most Hispanic people have two surnames is because it is common practice to give your child both the surname of the father and the surname of the mother.
Does a Hispanic Surname Mean Someone is of Hispanic Descent?
Just because your last name is Garcia, doesn’t mean you are of Hispanic descent. As mentioned above, the Spanish completely took over several indigenous people in Central and South America and it is just as likely that you would have Mayan or Aztec blood as Spanish blood.
Additional Ancestry Data
We also have data and statistics related to people who self-identify as "Hispanic" in the United States:
How to sort Hispanic names?
The Hispanic names normally are composed by the father surname and then the mother maiden name and finally the person names. First you will need to sort by the first surname. Then when you have two similar father surnames, then you will need to sort by the mother surname. E.G. you have.
What is the last name of Santa Anna?
Because some Spanish last names are composite surnames, his PATERNAL surname is “López de Santa Anna” and his MATERNAL surname is “Pérez de Lebrón”; his first given name is “Antonio de Padua”, in reference no doubt to St. Anthony of Padua in intensely Catholic Mexico, and “María” and “Severino” are his TWO middle names.
Is José Luis a single name?
José Luis is an extremely common firstname in Spa in (and yes, it’s considered a single name, it’s a “compound name”); INE tells me that Rodríguez is held in the first position by 927056 people, in second position by 936885, with 42447 who get it squared.
Do Hispanics have long names?
Long names, however, do not bother us Hispanics one bit. English-speakers may also be confused by the fact that Spanish naming customs entail two surnames instead of one, a first or paternal surname, which is the father’s surname, and a second or maternal surname, which is the mother’s maiden name.
Where do last names come from?
Last names come from both the mother and father. Gerald Erichsen is a Spanish language expert who has created Spanish lessons for ThoughtCo since 1998. Last names, or surnames, in Spanish aren't treated the same way as they are in English.
What name does the husband use?
The name the husband uses would be Elí Arroyo y López. You may see names that are even longer. Although it isn't done much, at least formally, it is possible also to include grandparents' names in the mix. If the full name is shortened, usually the second surname name is dropped.
What is the full name of Shakira?
Fathers' names are listed first: The full name of singer Shakira is Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll. She is the daughter of William Mebarak Chadid and Nidia del Carmen Ripoll Torrado.
Do you hyphenate the names of two people?
Also quite common is to hyphenate the two names, e.g., Elí Arroyo-López and Teresa García-Ramírez. Couples who have been in the United States a long time, particularly if they speak English, are more likely to give their children the father's name, following the dominant U.S. pattern. But practices vary.
Do Spanish speakers have two last names?
In a sense, then, native Spanish speakers are born with two last names. Take as an example the name of Teresa García Ramírez. Teresa is the name given at birth, García is the family name from her father, and Ramírez is the family name from her mother. If Teresa García Ramírez marries Elí Arroyo López, she doesn't change her name.
When did the last name of Spain become common?
For example, the common naming practice of the two last names, which started in 16th Century Spain, did not become common until the 1800s. That is really not that long ago!
Where do children take their father's last name?
Instead of the traditional way that is done in the United States, where the child takes only the father’s last name, most families in Spain and Latin America give their children both the father’s and mother’s last names.
Is Ayala a last name?
Ayala is her mother’s last name. Most likely, she will keep this name her whole life – regardless if she gets married. (I will talk about exceptions below.) Let’s look at this in more detail. Let’s say baby Jose was born to Ana María and Juan. His full name would be Jose Martínez Romero. Study that for a minute.
Does Spain have a last name order?
In Spain, it has become more common to switch the traditional order of last names. When a child is born, parents must decide whose last name goes first. (Most still choose the father’s last name, but it is now an option to have the mother’s name go first.) I personally love this system.
Is Ortega his mother's last name?
Ortega is his mother’s last name. This will be his name his whole life. Ana María Romero Ayala: Ana María is the person’s first name – not first and middle name – but her whole first name. Romero is Ana María’s father’s last name. Ayala is her mother’s last name.
What Does a Typical Mexican Name Look Like?
When looking at Mexican names, you will often see at least two given names (for example, Maria Angelica) and two surnames (for example, Rodriguez Lopez). All put together, a full Mexican name could look like this:
Why Do Mexicans Have Two Last Names?
Mexicans are given two first names for a variety of reasons that range from religious to cultural and family reasons. However, when it comes to the last names, there is a traditional system for passing down a surname, or “apellido.”
Why Is There a De,Del, or De La in the Name?
De, del, and de la are sometimes used in Mexican last names if the name comes from a certain place or recalls a common item. For example, if someone’s surname included the word Bosque, which translates as “Forest,” a name could look like this:
Why Did My Ancestors Change Their Name in the United States?
It was common for people to switch their surnames when immigrating to the United States because of the way surnames work in the United States culture. So, when researching family history, watch for immigration records and the surname switching, and search under both surnames.
What Is an Apellido?
When looking at records, it is important to remember that Mexicans don’t refer to Mexican last names as “last names.” They refer to them as “ apellidos .” This word may help in your research because the translation of “last name” in Spanish does not have the same meaning.
What is the last name of the Spanish god?
5. Abel. Abel is a Spanish surname derived from the Hebrew name ‘Hevel’ referring to ‘breath.’. 6. Abello. Abello is derived from the Latin name ‘Abellio’ who is also referred to as a Pyrenean god. 7. Abraham. This last name comes from the Bible and means ‘father of many’ in Hebrew.
What is the name of the Spanish name for a poplar tree?
Aguado. This name is a variant of Agua. The name also refers to people who live or work near water. 14. Aiza. It is derived from the Basque word ‘aitz’ that means ‘rock’ or ‘stone.’. 15. Alamilla. This Spanish last name is derived from the word ‘alamillo’ that means ‘a poplar tree’ or ‘aspen..
What is the origin of the name Alberto?
Alberto. Alberto is derived from the word ‘Albert’ referring to ‘noble’ or ‘bright.’. 17. Aldana. This is a toponymic last name derived from the name of a Basque town called ‘Aldats’ referring to ‘a slope.’. 18. Alfaro. It has two possible references, one being the name of a city called Alfaro in La Rioja, Spain.
Where does the last name Avila come from?
This last name is derived from the name of a place called ‘Abalos’ located in the Soria province of the Basque country. 51. Avila. This surname is derived from the name of a province called Avila within the community of Castile and Leon in Spain.
Where does Velasquez come from?
It comes from the Spanish word ‘Vela,’ which means ‘sail’ or it may even refer to its other meaning that is ‘being watchful.’. 241. Velasquez. It is a variant of the word ‘Velasco,’ which means ‘crow’ in Medieval Spanish and Old Basque.
Where did the name Abarca come from?
Abarca is an occupational last name. It is derived from the name of a type of leather used to make shoes or sandals. This leather was available only on the Balearic Island, Spain. The maker of these shoes was referred to as Abarca.
Is Abreu a Spanish name?
Abreu is a common Spanish surname especially with those of Portuguese and Sephardic Jewish descent. It is deri ved as a toponymic name referring to the name of a place. It also refers to be a variant of Abraham in Hebrew.