Spanish names are used in Spain and other Spanish-speaking countries (such as those in South America). See also about Spanish names.
Abarca Spanish
From the name of a type of leather-soled shoe or sandal made on the Balearic Islands. It originally indicated a person who made or sold this item.
Agua Spanish
Means "water" in Spanish, indicating a person who lived near water or worked with water.
Aguado Spanish
Derived from Spanish agua "water" , indicating a person who lived near water or worked with water.
Aguilar Spanish
From a place name that was derived from Spanish águila meaning "eagle" , ultimately from Latin aquila.
Aguirre Spanish
From Basque ageri meaning "open, cleared, prominent" , originally given to a peron who lived in an open area.
Alfaro Spanish
Originally denoted someone who was from the city of Alfaro in La Rioja, Spain. It is possibly derived from Arabic meaning "the watchtower".
Anaya Spanish
From the names of a few Spanish towns, possibly of Arabic origin meaning "stagnant water" or "path" .
Aquino Italian, Spanish
From the name of an Italian town near Rome, derived from Latin aqua meaning "water", the home town of the 13th-century saint Thomas Aquinas. In Italy the surname is derived directly from the town's name. As a Spanish-language surname, it was sometimes bestowed by missionaries in honour of the saint as they evangelized in Spanish colonies.
Arechavaleta Spanish
Originally indicated a person from the town of Aretxabaleta in Spain. It means "oak trees" in Basque.
Arenas Spanish
From various Spanish place names, which are derived from Spanish arena meaning "sand" .
Aritza Spanish, Basque
From Basque aritz meaning "oak tree" . This was a nickname of Iñigo, the first king of Pamplona, Spain (9th century).
Arriola Spanish, Basque
From Basque place names, themselves derived from Basque arri "stone" and -ola "place of, house".
Asturias Spanish
From the name of a region in Spain, formerly a medieval kingdom. It is possibly derived from Basque asta "rock" and ur "water".
Ávila Spanish
From the name of the city of Ávila in Spain. It is of uncertain meaning, possibly of Punic or Celtic origin.
Ayala Spanish
From the name of the town of Ayala (called Aiara in Basque) in Álava, Spain. It might be derived from Basque aiher "slope" or alha "pasture".
Barros Portuguese, Spanish
From the Portuguese and Spanish word barro meaning "clay, mud" . This could either be an occupational name for a person who worked with clay or mud such as a builder or artisan, or a topographic name for someone living near clay or mud.
Basurto Spanish
From the Basque place name Basurtu, a village (now part of Bilbao) in Biscay. It means "middle of the forest".
Bello Spanish, Italian
Means "beautiful" in Spanish and Italian, originally a nickname for an attractive person.
Blanco Spanish
Means "white" in Spanish. The name most likely referred to a person who was pale or had blond hair.
Bolívar Spanish
From Bolibar, the name of a small Basque village, derived from Basque bolu "mill" and ibar "meadow". This name was borne by the revolutionary Simón Bolívar (1783-1830).
Borja Spanish
Originally indicated a person from the Spanish town of Borja in Aragon, derived from Arabic بُرْج (burj) meaning "tower".
Busto Spanish, Italian
From the name of towns in Spain and Italy, derived from Late Latin bustum meaning "ox pasture".
Caballero Spanish
From a nickname derived from Spanish caballero meaning "knight" , a cognate of Chevalier.
Cabello Spanish
Means "hair" in Spanish, used as a nickname for a person with a large amount of hair.
Cabrera Spanish
From various place names derived from Late Latin capraria meaning "place of goats" , from Latin capra meaning "goat".
Calderón Spanish
Occupational name for a person who made, repaired or sold cauldrons or kettles, from Spanish calderón "cauldron" , from Late Latin caldaria.
Calvo Spanish, Italian, Portuguese
Means "bald" in Spanish, Italian and Portuguese, from Latin calvus.
Camacho Spanish, Portuguese
Meaning unknown, possibly related to the Celtic root *kambos meaning "crooked, twisted" .
Campana Italian, Spanish
Occupational name from Late Latin campana meaning "bell" , ultimately derived from the Italian region of Campania, where bells were produced.
Cárdenas Spanish
From the name of towns in the Spanish provinces of Almería and La Rioja. They are derived from Spanish cárdeno "blue, purple".
Cardoso Portuguese, Spanish
From a place name meaning "thorny" in Portuguese and Spanish, ultimately from Latin carduus.
Carmona Spanish
From the name of the city of Carmona in Andalusia, Spain. It is possibly derived from Phoenician 𐤒𐤓𐤕 𐤇𐤌𐤍 (Qart Ḥamun) meaning "city of Hammon" (the name of a Carthaginian god, see Ba'al Hammon).
Carrasco Spanish
Topographic name derived from Spanish carrasca meaning "holm oak" (species Quercus ilex).
Carrillo Spanish
Means "cheek, jaw" in Spanish, originally a nickname for a person with a distinctive cheek or jaw.
Casal Spanish
From the Spanish word casal meaning "house" , ultimately from Late Late casalis and Latin casa.
Castilla Spanish
Originally indicated a person from Castile, a region (and medieval kingdom) in Spain. The name of the region is derived from Late Latin castellum meaning "castle".
Castro Spanish, Portuguese
Means "castle" in Spanish and Portuguese, referring to one who lived near a castle. A famous bearer was Fidel Castro (1926-2016), revolutionary and president of Cuba.
Cervantes Spanish
Possibly from Old Spanish servanto meaning "servant" or ciervo meaning "stag" . A famous bearer was the Spanish novelist Miguel de Cervantes (1547-1616).
Chaves Portuguese, Spanish
From the name of a Portuguese city, derived from the Roman name Flavius (being named for the emperor Vespasian, whose family name was Flavius).
Contreras Spanish
From the name of a town in Burgos, Spain, derived from Late Latin contraria meaning "area opposite".
Crespo Spanish, Portuguese, Italian
Referred to a person with curly hair, from Latin crispus meaning "curly" .
Cuéllar Spanish
Derived from the name of the town of Cuéllar in the Segovia province of Spain. It may be derived from Latin collis meaning "hill".
Dalí Spanish
From a given name, itself a diminutive of names beginning with the Old German element adal meaning "noble". This was the surname of the Spanish surrealist painter Salvador Dalí (1904-1989).
Dela Cruz Spanish (Filipinized)
Variant of De la Cruz primarily used in the Philippines (where it is the most common surname).
Delgado Spanish, Portuguese
Means "thin" in Spanish and Portuguese, ultimately from Latin delicatus meaning "delicate, tender, charming".