Spanish Last Names

The most common "pattern" of keeping names is 'first name' followed by a 'middle name' and ended with a 'last name'. But when it comes to Spanish customs of keeping a name, it's very different! Spanish last names or Hispanic last names have been into existence from the 12th century. Unlike the traditional way of having a first and middle name, the Spanish have first name (In Spanish, Nombre), followed by two last names (In Spanish, Apellidos). For example, if a child born in the US is named John Paul White, then, John = First name, Paul = Middle name and White = Last name(paternal). But if a child is born in a Spanish family and is named Juan Ramos Alvarez, Juan= first name, Ramos= father's last name (Apellidos Paterno) and Alvarez = mother's last name ( Apellidos Materno). Did you get the difference? In Spain there is no concept of keeping a middle name. Therefore, the first name is followed by the father's last name and then the mother's last name. However, Spanish law allows to change the order of appearance of paternal surname and maternal surname.

Last Name Origins

Spanish last names are known to have originated from 4 main criterion kept in mind while keeping a name. These were:

   1. Geographical Surnames: These surnames are originated from the concept of naming people from their native place or hometown. For example, people who come from Navarre, Spain may have a surname Navarro.
   2. Patronymic/ Matronymic Surnames: These surnames are formed with the surnames of parents. Patronymic last names are derived from the first name of the father. For example, Alvarez means (son of Alvaro), Rodríguez (son of Rodrigo) .
   3. Occupational Surnames: These surnames are derived from the family occupation or trade. For example,Roderick Guerrero (Roderick the warrior)
   4. Descriptive Last Names: Descriptive surnames are the ones which describe something about the family's qualities or traits or even the person's quality for that matter. For example, Juan Gros, where Gros means Big in Catalan which is a Spanish language.

List of Spanish Last Names

Now that we are familiar with the origin of Spanish last names and the patterns that has been followed by Spanish history, it will get easier for us to identify Spanish last names and their meanings somehow! Another thing to be kept in mind when it comes to Spanish surnames is that, they usually end by adding "ez, es, is, as ,oz, os, or" to the name of the father. As mentioned earlier, since Spanish last names consists of the last name of both the father and the mother, a "y" is included in between. For example, Pablo Garcio y Galeano. Here, y means "and". Pablo being the given name, Garcio and Galeano are the last names of the parents. Some last names also includes de which means 'of'. An example to this would be, Alejandro de Lugo, which means Alejandro of the town Lugo. Now that we have known the Spanish naming customs, let's go through the Spanish last names list below to check out the most famous and common Spanish last names:

Spanish Last Names
A	Alvarez	Albenino	Adargo	Aguaristi	Aguera
	Alamos	Angeloz	Alonso	Avellanos	Arguellez
B	Balboa	Banderas	Barbosa	Burrieza	Bibiano
	Barón	Boltares	Borquez	Brisuela	Burbano
C	Coelho	Cabanero	Cruz	Cegarra	Caballero
	Cortez	Castrilli	Cobelo	Contrera	Conejero
D	De La Iglesia	Dealejandro	De Jesus	Diego	Diaz
	De Caxias	Dopazo	Durango	Delmorales	Domenguez
E	Eiriz	Escudero	Escamillo	Endoso	Elizondo
	Escovado	Escota	Enriquez	Espinoz	Estrada
F	Fajardo	Fanego	Farrera	Figoroa	Fuginato
	Fernandez	Flemate	Fejos	Francisquito	Figueira
G	Galavez	Guevara	Galguera	Galvez	Gerardo
	Gallardo	Guzmán	Gozales	Gutiérrez	Goroza
H	Herandez	Higares	Hierro	Hermoso	Hervas
	Hipolito	Hidalgo	Horacio	Hirtado	Huerta
I	Ibanez	Ilarraza	Inserni	Iguaran	Iglecias
	Isambero	Iroz	Ivarra	Islava	Ivanez
J	Jimenez	Jacinto	Juarez	Jover	Jaramillo
	Juanez	Juanitas	Jara	Juvera	Jurada
K	Kiko	Kieva
L	Lorenzo	Lagunas	Lopez	Lucero	Lajara
	Lacruz	Lamorena	Larreta	Lapenti	Lazaro
M	Martinez	Medina	Munoz	Murrieta	Miato
	Magdael	Moretta	Manzanero	Mendez	Montano
N	Napolez	Navarrete	Noboa	Nigos	Navaez
	Naharro	Núnez	Norales	Nino	Nuanez
O	Ortega	Ocanto	Orrego	Ojito	Oliva
	Olivera	Ogarrio	Osario	Orellana	Ortez
P	Puerta	Pizzaro	Perez	Pedreiro	Portocarrero
	Pastrana	Pagueros	Pena	Pinalez	Pedroso
Q	Quintero	Quevedo	Questi	Quitos	Quita
	Queiro	Querido	Quijano	Quilez	Quesada
R	Ramirez	Ramos	Resurez	Rogriguez	Romero
	Ruiz	Rimoldi	Riveira	Rios	Ricardo
S	Salazar	Sanchez	Santiago	Sámarez	Soto
	Santana	Suárez	Santamarina	Saldamando	Santos
T	Torres	Tavares	Terreros	Tintorero	Torrillas
	Tortosa	Terezinho	Trujillo	Tezino	Tomas
U	Ugarte	Uranday	Urrutia	Urteaga	Urrego
	Urcadez	Ubidia	Unzues	Urtez	Ussica
V	Valdez	Vargas	Vazquez	Valente	Vejarano
	Vinciguerra	Veracruz	Volonte	Vicario	Valero
W	Woriega
X	Xalmiento	Ximenéz	Xuárez	Xochicale	Xovi
Y	Yroz	Yuste	Yegros	Yocemento	Ysassi
	Yanez	Ynigo	Yebara	Yepez	Ypina
Z	Zaldana	Zavarjelos	Zubizarreta	Zamaco	Zamorano
	Zardo	Zuidema	Zarcos	Zhili	Zermeno

I hope the above article on Spanish last names helped to know more about their amazing culture and naming customs. It really amazes me how this one world has so many different worlds within it. This article is just an effort to explore more about the Spanish world, their culture and their life.