Last names can tell us a lot about our heritage and where our ancestors came from. Below is a list of 75 of the most popular Mexican last names along with their meanings and origins, so you can learn something new about you and your culture.
The History of Mexican Last Names
You’ll notice that many Mexican surnames originated in Spain. This is due to the Spanish colonizers that came to Mexico after the ancient civilizations, like the Mayans and Aztecs. The most notable Mexican last names come from all sorts of Spanish cultures, proving how much the country of Mexico has evolved over the last few centuries.
Mexican Naming Traditions
Many Mexican surnames are derived from places, nicknames, and family. Patronymic names are names that are derivatives of the child’s father’s name. “Fernandez is one great example as it translates to “son of Fernando.” The places can be cities or provinces and even topographic elements such as bodies of water.
70 of the Most Popular Mexican Last Names
- Aguilar - This Spanish last name is a habitational name for a region in Spain. It means “haunt of eagles.”
- Alvarez - This is a patronymic Spanish last name that means “son of Alvaro.”
- Cano - This last name was derived from a nickname that means “white-haired.”
- Castillo - This is a habitational Mexican last name that referred to someone who lived near a large fortified building or castle.
- Castro - This is a topographic name for a castle or fortress in the Galicia region of Spain.
- Cisneros - This family name is derived from the Spanish word “cisne” which means “swan.” It is also a habitational name for a place in the province of Palencia.
- Cortes - This Spanish surname is derived from the word “Corte” which is a nickname for a refined or courteous person.
- Cruz - This is derived from the personal name that means “cross” or “dweller by a cross.”
- Cuevas - This is a habitational name for caves found in the provinces of Burgos and Malaga.
- De Leon - This surname can be referred to as topographic or patronymic. It can relate to the Spanish city of Leon or mean “son of Leon.”
- Delgado -This Spanish and Portuguese last name is derived from a nickname for a thin or slender person.
- Diaz - This is a patronymic surname that means “son of Diego.”
- Dominguez - This surname is either derived from the Latin word “Dominicus” which means “belonging to the Lord” or it is patronymic for “son of Domingo.
- Espinoza - This is a habitational name for many places named Espinosa in the Galicia and Vascongadas regions of Spain. It is derived from the word “Espino” which means “hawthorn.”
- Estrada - This name is derived from the word “Estrada” which is Spanish for “road.” It can also be taken from the Latin word “strata” which means “paved road.”
- Fernandez - This is a patronymic surname that means “son of Fernando.”
- Flores - This name is derived from the Latin word “Floris” which means “flowers.” This habitational name was used for someone who dwelled near where flowers grew, commonly in Guatemala and Uruguay.
- Franco - This surname is derived from the personal name “Frank” which means “free” in both Spanish and Italian. “Franco” was also used to describe a member of the Germanic people who lived in the lands around the Rhine river.
- Fuentes - This Spanish surname means “fountains” and is a habitational name for someone who lived near a fountain or spring.
- Garcia - This patronymic surname means “son of Garcia” which is the Spanish form of “Gerald.” “Gerald” is a Germanic name that means “rule of the spear.”
- Garza - This is a Basque and Galician habitational surname that means “dweller at the sign of the heron.”
- Gomez - This is a common Spanish patronymic surname that means “son of Gome.”
- Gonzalez - This patronymic surname means “son of Gonzalo.”
- Guerrero - This surname was derived from the word “Guerra” which means “war.” It was used as a nickname for a soldier.
- Gutierrez - This is a patronymic surname that means “son of Gutierre.”
- Guzman - This is a topographic surname for someone who resides in the village named “Guzman” in the Burgos region of Spain.
- Hernandez - This patronymic name means either “son of Hernando” or “son of Fernando.” “Fernando” is the Spanish form of the Old German name “Ferdinand” which means “bold voyager.”
- Herrera - This is a habitational surname for someone who resides in a village that had a blacksmith forge, which is called a “herreria.”
- Ibarra - This is a Basque habitational name for someone who resided in a valley or plain near a river.
- Iglesias - This is a habitational surname for a dweller near a church.
- Jimenez - This very common patronymic surname means “son of Jimeno.”
- Lopez - This Spanish patronymic name means “son of Lope.” It is derived from the Latin word “lupus” which means “wolf.”
- Lozano - This surname is derived from a nickname used to describe an elegant or good-looking person.
- Lugo - This is a habitational name for the city “Lugo” located in Galicia.
- Luna - This Spanish surname is derived from the Latin word “lumina” which means “light.”
- Maldonado - This is a habitational name for someone who lived in the village of “Maldonado” in the Albacete province. It was also used as a nickname for an “ill-favored” person.
- Marin - This surname of Spanish origin was derived from the Latin word “Marinus” which means “of the sea.”
- Marquez - This is a patronymic name that means “son of Marcus” or “son of Marcos.”
- Martinez -This patronymic surname means “son of Martin.” It is also derived from the Latin word “Martinus” which is an alternative to “Mars,” the Roman God of fertility and war.
- Mata - This is a habitational surname used in Spain and Portugal for someone who lived near the woods or a forest.
- Medina - This is a habitational name for someone who resided in one of the cities named “Medina,” such as Medina del Campo in Valladolid province.
- Mendez - This patronymic surname means “son of Mendel” or “son of Mendo.”
- Mendoza - This Basque surname is a topographic name for someone who lived on or near a cold mountain.
- Montoya - This Basque name is a topographic name for someone who dwells near hills and valleys.
- Morales - This is a topographic surname for someone who lived near a mulberry bush.
- Moreno - This surname is derived from a nickname for someone with dark hair.
- Munoz - This is a patronymic name that means “son of Muno.” The personal name “Muno” means “hill.”
- Navarro - This name of Basque origin is a habitational name for someone who lived in the Navarre village in Spain.
- Ortega - This Galician surname is used for someone who lives in the village of Ortega in the Burgos province.
- Ortiz - This is a very common patronymic surname that means “son of Orton or Orta.”
- Parra - This is a habitational name for someone who lived near a grapevine or trellis.
- Perez - This patronymic surname means “son of Pedro or Pero.”
- Ramirez - This patronymic name means “son of Ramiro.”
- Ramos - This habitational name was used for someone who resided in any of the towns called Ramos in Spain and Portugal.
- Reyes - This surname is derived from the Latin word “Regis” which means “royal.”
- Rios - This surname is derived from the Spanish word “Rio” which means “river.”
- Rivera - This is a topographic name for someone who lived near a riverbank.
- Rodrigo - This surname is derived from the Old Germanic personal name “Hrodric” which means “renowned power.”
- Rodriguez - This is a patronymic surname that means “son of Rodrigo.”
- Romero - This name is derived from a nickname that means “pilgrim.”
- Rosas - This surname is derived from the Latin word “rosa” which means “rose.”
- Rubio - This name is derived from a nickname for someone who has red hair.
- Ruiz - This is a patronymic surname for “son of Ruy” which means “powerful ruler.”
- Sanchez - This is a patronymic surname for “son of Sancho” which means “sanctified.”
- Soto - This is a topographic name used for someone who dwelled near a grove or small wood.
- Suarez - This patronymic name means “son of Suero or Soeiro.”
- Torres - This topographic surname for someone who lived near or in a tower.
- Vasquez - This is a patronymic surname that means “son of Vasco.”
- Vega - This is a topographic name for someone who lived near a meadow.
- Velasco - This Basque surname means “raven” and is derived from the personal name for someone who takes care of sheep.
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