Mexican Last Names: A Comprehensive Guide to Their Meanings

Exploring the rich tapestry of Mexican culture, we delve into the world of Mexican last names. These names, often passed down through generations, carry deep meaning and reflect the country's history, geography, and cultural influences. From Spanish origins to indigenous roots, Mexican last names tell stories of family, heritage, and identity. This guide provides a comprehensive list of common Mexican last names along with their detailed meanings, offering a glimpse into the diverse and captivating history behind these unique appellations.
1. **Acosta:** From the Basque word "akosta," meaning "a place of oaks."
2. **Aguilar:** Derived from the Latin "aquila," meaning "eagle."
3. **Alarcón:** A Spanish surname of noble origin, meaning "falcon's nest."
4. **Alba:** Derived from the Latin "albus," meaning "white."
5. **Aldana:** A Basque surname, meaning "a place where there is alda," a type of tree.
6. **Almazan:** A Spanish surname of Moorish origin, meaning "place of olive trees."
7. **Alvarez:** Derived from the Germanic name "Alvar," meaning "elf counsel."
8. **Amaya:** A Basque surname, meaning "place of the amayas" (a type of tree).
9. **Andrade:** A Portuguese surname, meaning "from the Andrade" (a place name).
10. **Anguiano:** A Spanish surname of Basque origin, meaning "place of the Anguianos."
11. **Arias:** Derived from the Latin "Arius," meaning "of the air."
12. **Arreola:** A Spanish surname, meaning "a place with a small oak tree."
13. **Arteaga:** A Basque surname, meaning "a place of the Arteagas."
14. **Avila:** A Spanish surname, meaning "from Avila" (a city in Spain).
15. **Baca:** A Spanish surname, meaning "cow."
16. **Badillo:** A Spanish surname of Arabic origin, meaning "small garden."
17. **Barajas:** A Spanish surname, meaning "from Barajas" (a town in Spain).
18. **Barcenas:** A Spanish surname of Basque origin, meaning "from the barcenas" (a place name).
19. **Barrera:** A Spanish surname, meaning "barrier" or "fence."
20. **Bautista:** Derived from the Latin "baptista," meaning "baptizer."
21. **Becerra:** A Spanish surname, meaning "young calf."
22. **Beltran:** A Spanish surname of Germanic origin, meaning "bright raven."
23. **Benitez:** A Spanish surname, meaning "son of Benito."
24. **Bermudez:** A Spanish surname, meaning "from Bermudez" (a place name).
25. **Blanco:** Derived from the Spanish "blanco," meaning "white."
26. **Bobadilla:** A Spanish surname, meaning "from Bobadilla" (a place name).
27. **Bolanos:** A Spanish surname, meaning "from Bolanos" (a place name).
28. **Borja:** A Spanish surname, meaning "from Borja" (a place name).
29. **Bravo:** A Spanish surname, meaning "brave."
30. **Bustamante:** A Spanish surname of Basque origin, meaning "from the Bustamante" (a place name).
31. **Cabrera:** A Spanish surname, meaning "goat."
32. **Cadena:** A Spanish surname, meaning "chain."
33. **Caldwell:** An English surname, meaning "cold well."
34. **Calderon:** A Spanish surname, meaning "cauldron."
35. **Camacho:** A Spanish surname, meaning "from Camacho" (a place name).
36. **Campos:** A Spanish surname, meaning "fields."
37. **Canales:** A Spanish surname, meaning "canals."
38. **Cardenas:** A Spanish surname, meaning "from Cardenas" (a place name).
39. **Carrillo:** A Spanish surname, meaning "little cart."
40. **Castillo:** A Spanish surname, meaning "castle."
41. **Castro:** A Spanish surname, meaning "castle."
42. **Cervantes:** A Spanish surname, meaning "from Cervantes" (a place name).
43. **Chavez:** A Spanish surname, meaning "house."
44. **Cisneros:** A Spanish surname, meaning "from Cisneros" (a place name).
45. **Covarrubias:** A Spanish surname, meaning "from Covarrubias" (a place name).
46. **Cruz:** A Spanish surname, meaning "cross."
47. **Diaz:** A Spanish surname, meaning "son of Diego."
48. **Dominguez:** A Spanish surname, meaning "son of Domingo."
49. **Estrada:** A Spanish surname, meaning "road."
50. **Fernandez:** A Spanish surname, meaning "son of Fernando."
51. **Flores:** A Spanish surname, meaning "flowers."
52. **Fuentes:** A Spanish surname, meaning "sources."
53. **Garcia:** A Spanish surname, meaning "son of Garcia."
54. **Garza:** A Spanish surname, meaning "crane."
55. **Gatica:** A Spanish surname of Basque origin, meaning "from Gatica" (a place name).
56. **Giron:** A Spanish surname, meaning "gyroscope."
57. **Gonzalez:** A Spanish surname, meaning "son of Gonzalo."
58. **Gomez:** A Spanish surname, meaning "son of Gomo."
59. **Guerrero:** A Spanish surname, meaning "warrior."
60. **Hernandez:** A Spanish surname, meaning "son of Hernando."
61. **Herrera:** A Spanish surname, meaning "ironmonger."
62. **Hinojosa:** A Spanish surname, meaning "place of junipers."
63. **Jimenez:** A Spanish surname, meaning "son of Jaime."
64. **Juarez:** A Spanish surname, meaning "son of Juarez."
65. **Larios:** A Spanish surname, meaning "from Larios" (a place name).
66. **Lara:** A Spanish surname, meaning "a place near a river."
67. **Laureano:** A Spanish surname, meaning "laureate."
68. **Leyva:** A Spanish surname, meaning "from Leyva" (a place name).
69. **Lopez:** A Spanish surname, meaning "son of Lope."
70. **Lozano:** A Spanish surname, meaning "from Lozano" (a place name).
71. **Lugo:** A Spanish surname, meaning "from Lugo" (a place name).
72. **Macias:** A Spanish surname, meaning "mace."
73. **Madrigal:** A Spanish surname, meaning "from Madrigal" (a place name).
74. **Maldonado:** A Spanish surname, meaning "from Maldonado" (a place name).
75. **Manriquez:** A Spanish surname, meaning "from Manriquez" (a place name).
76. **Marquez:** A Spanish surname, meaning "from Marquez" (a place name).
77. **Martinez:** A Spanish surname, meaning "son of Martin."
78. **Martos:** A Spanish surname, meaning "from Martos" (a place name).
79. **Mata:** A Spanish surname, meaning "bush."
80. **Medina:** A Spanish surname, meaning "from Medina" (a place name).
81. **Mendez:** A Spanish surname, meaning "son of Menendo."
82. **Mendoza:** A Spanish surname, meaning "from Mendoza" (a place name).
83. **Mercado:** A Spanish surname, meaning "market."
84. **Merino:** A Spanish surname, meaning "from Merino" (a place name).
85. **Mesa:** A Spanish surname, meaning "table."
86. **Michel:** A Spanish surname, meaning "son of Michael."
87. **Miranda:** A Spanish surname, meaning "from Miranda" (a place name).
88. **Montero:** A Spanish surname, meaning "hunter."
89. **Montes:** A Spanish surname, meaning "mountains."
90. **Mora:** A Spanish surname, meaning "mulberry tree."
91. **Morales:** A Spanish surname, meaning "from Morales" (a place name).
92. **Moreno:** A Spanish surname, meaning "dark skinned."
93. **Munoz:** A Spanish surname, meaning "son of Munoz."
94. **Nava:** A Spanish surname, meaning "ship."
95. **Navarro:** A Spanish surname, meaning "from Navarre" (a region in Spain).
96. **Negrete:** A Spanish surname, meaning "blacksmith."
97. **Noriega:** A Spanish surname, meaning "from Noriega" (a place name).
98. **Ochoa:** A Spanish surname, meaning "from Ochoa" (a place name).
99. **Olague:** A Spanish surname of Basque origin, meaning "from Olague" (a place name).
100. **Olvera:** A Spanish surname, meaning "from Olvera" (a place name).
101. **Ortega:** A Spanish surname, meaning "from Ortega" (a place name).
102. **Ortiz:** A Spanish surname, meaning "son of Ortiz."
103. **Osorio:** A Spanish surname, meaning "from Osorio" (a place name).
104. **Padilla:** A Spanish surname, meaning "from Padilla" (a place name).
105. **Palacios:** A Spanish surname, meaning "palaces."
106. **Pantoja:** A Spanish surname, meaning "from Pantoja" (a place name).
107. **Parra:** A Spanish surname, meaning "vineyard."
108. **Pascual:** A Spanish surname, meaning "Easter."
109. **Pena:** A Spanish surname, meaning "cliff."
110. **Perez:** A Spanish surname, meaning "son of Pedro."
111. **Pineda:** A Spanish surname, meaning "from Pineda" (a place name).
112. **Pino:** A Spanish surname, meaning "pine tree."
113. **Ponce:** A Spanish surname, meaning "from Ponce" (a place name).
114. **Portillo:** A Spanish surname, meaning "small gate."
115. **Quezada:** A Spanish surname, meaning "from Quezada" (a place name).
116. **Ramirez:** A Spanish surname, meaning "son of Ramiro."
117. **Ramos:** A Spanish surname, meaning "branches."
118. **Rangel:** A Spanish surname, meaning "from Rangel" (a place name).
119. **Reyes:** A Spanish surname, meaning "kings."
120. **Rios:** A Spanish surname, meaning "rivers."
121. **Rodriguez:** A Spanish surname, meaning "son of Rodrigo."
122. **Rojo:** A Spanish surname, meaning "red."
123. **Romero:** A Spanish surname, meaning "pilgrim."
124. **Romo:** A Spanish surname, meaning "from Romo" (a place name).
125. **Rocha:** A Spanish surname, meaning "oak tree."
126. **Salas:** A Spanish surname, meaning "halls."
127. **Salazar:** A Spanish surname, meaning "from Salazar" (a place name).
128. **Salgado:** A Spanish surname, meaning "salty."
129. **Sanchez:** A Spanish surname, meaning "son of Sancho."
130. **Santacruz:** A Spanish surname, meaning "holy cross."
131. **Santiago:** A Spanish surname, meaning "Saint James."
132. **Santos:** A Spanish surname, meaning "saints."
133. **Sandoval:** A Spanish surname, meaning "from Sandoval" (a place name).
134. **Sandoval:** A Spanish surname, meaning "from Sandoval" (a place name).
135. **Segura:** A Spanish surname, meaning "safe."
136. **Serrano:** A Spanish surname, meaning "from the mountains."
137. **Silva:** A Spanish surname, meaning "forest."
138. **Solano:** A Spanish surname, meaning "from the sun."
139. **Soto:** A Spanish surname, meaning "underwood."
140. **Suarez:** A Spanish surname, meaning "son of Suarez."
141. **Tellez:** A Spanish surname, meaning "from Tellez" (a place name).
142. **Torres:** A Spanish surname, meaning "towers."
143. **Valdez:** A Spanish surname, meaning "from Valdez" (a place name).
144. **Valencia:** A Spanish surname, meaning "from Valencia" (a region in Spain).
145. **Valenzuela:** A Spanish surname, meaning "from Valenzuela" (a place name).
146. **Vargas:** A Spanish surname, meaning "from Vargas" (a place name).
147. **Vasquez:** A Spanish surname, meaning "son of Vasco."
148. **Vega:** A Spanish surname, meaning "meadow."
149. **Velazquez:** A Spanish surname, meaning "from Velazquez" (a place name).
150. **Velasco:** A Spanish surname, meaning "from Velasco" (a place name).
151. **Venegas:** A Spanish surname, meaning "from Venegas" (a place name).
152. **Vera:** A Spanish surname, meaning "truth."
153. **Vergara:** A Spanish surname, meaning "from Vergara" (a place name).
154. **Vidal:** A Spanish surname, meaning "life."
155. **Villa:** A Spanish surname, meaning "village."
156. **Villanueva:** A Spanish surname, meaning "new town."
157. **Villegas:** A Spanish surname, meaning "from Villegas" (a place name).
158. **Virgen:** A Spanish surname, meaning "virgin."
159. **Zapata:** A Spanish surname, meaning "shoe."
160. **Zaragoza:** A Spanish surname, meaning "from Zaragoza" (a city in Spain).