Peruvian Last Names: A Comprehensive Guide to Their Origins and Meanings

Peruvian last names are a fascinating reflection of the country's rich history and diverse cultural heritage. They offer insights into the origins of families, their ancestral ties, and the influences that have shaped their identity. This comprehensive list explores the meanings behind some of the most common Peruvian surnames, providing a deeper understanding of their significance and cultural context.
1. **Alvarez:** A Spanish surname meaning "son of Alvaro", a popular given name meaning "noble" or "wise".
2. **Arias:** A Spanish surname derived from the Latin "Arias", meaning "of the air".
3. **Benavides:** A Spanish surname meaning "from Benavides", a town in Spain.
4. **Cabrera:** A Spanish surname meaning "goat-herder", derived from the word "cabra", meaning "goat".
5. **Calderón:** A Spanish surname meaning "cauldron", referring to the shape of a hill or mountain.
6. **Cardenas:** A Spanish surname meaning "gardens", possibly referring to a place where cardoons, a type of thistle, were grown.
7. **Carrillo:** A Spanish surname meaning "little cart", derived from the word "carro", meaning "cart".
8. **Castillo:** A Spanish surname meaning "castle", indicating that the family lived near or owned a castle.
9. **Castro:** A Spanish surname meaning "castle", also referring to the town of Castro in Spain.
10. **Chavez:** A Spanish surname meaning "houses", possibly referring to a place with many houses.
11. **Cordova:** A Spanish surname meaning "cord", referring to a type of leather strap.
12. **Diaz:** A Spanish surname meaning "day", derived from the word "dia", meaning "day".
13. **Fernandez:** A Spanish surname meaning "son of Fernando", a popular given name meaning "brave" or "bold".
14. **Flores:** A Spanish surname meaning "flowers", referring to a place with many flowers.
15. **Garcia:** A Spanish surname meaning "son of Garcia", a popular given name meaning "spearman" or "warrior".
16. **Gonzalez:** A Spanish surname meaning "son of Gonzalo", a popular given name meaning "brave" or "strong".
17. **Guerrero:** A Spanish surname meaning "warrior", derived from the word "guerra", meaning "war".
18. **Hernandez:** A Spanish surname meaning "son of Hernando", a popular given name meaning "strong" or "brave".
19. **Jimenez:** A Spanish surname meaning "son of Jaime", a popular given name meaning "supplanter".
20. **Larios:** A Spanish surname meaning "from Larios", a town in Spain.
21. **Lopez:** A Spanish surname meaning "wolf", derived from the word "lobo", meaning "wolf".
22. **Martinez:** A Spanish surname meaning "son of Martin", a popular given name meaning "war god".
23. **Mendoza:** A Spanish surname meaning "from Mendoza", a town in Spain.
24. **Miranda:** A Spanish surname meaning "to look at", referring to a place with a beautiful view.
25. **Moreno:** A Spanish surname meaning "dark-skinned", referring to the color of the person's skin.
26. **Navarro:** A Spanish surname meaning "from Navarre", a region in Spain.
27. **Ortega:** A Spanish surname meaning "bear", derived from the word "oso", meaning "bear".
28. **Pacheco:** A Spanish surname meaning "little stick", derived from the word "palo", meaning "stick".
29. **Palacios:** A Spanish surname meaning "palaces", referring to a place with many palaces.
30. **Perez:** A Spanish surname meaning "son of Pedro", a popular given name meaning "rock".
31. **Ramirez:** A Spanish surname meaning "son of Ramiro", a popular given name meaning "famous protector".
32. **Reyes:** A Spanish surname meaning "kings", derived from the word "rey", meaning "king".
33. **Rodriguez:** A Spanish surname meaning "son of Rodrigo", a popular given name meaning "famous ruler".
34. **Romero:** A Spanish surname meaning "pilgrim", derived from the word "romero", meaning "pilgrim".
35. **Ruiz:** A Spanish surname meaning "red", derived from the word "rojo", meaning "red".
36. **Salazar:** A Spanish surname meaning "from Salazar", a town in Spain.
37. **Sanchez:** A Spanish surname meaning "son of Sancho", a popular given name meaning "holy".
38. **Santos:** A Spanish surname meaning "saints", derived from the word "santo", meaning "saint".
39. **Torres:** A Spanish surname meaning "towers", referring to a place with many towers.
40. **Valdez:** A Spanish surname meaning "from Valdez", a town in Spain.
41. **Vargas:** A Spanish surname meaning "gardener", derived from the word "vargas", meaning "garden".
42. **Vasquez:** A Spanish surname meaning "son of Vasco", a popular given name meaning "from Basque Country".
43. **Vega:** A Spanish surname meaning "meadow", referring to a place with a meadow.
44. **Velasquez:** A Spanish surname meaning "from Velasquez", a town in Spain.
45. **Vera:** A Spanish surname meaning "true", derived from the word "verdad", meaning "truth".
46. **Villa:** A Spanish surname meaning "town", referring to a place with a town.
47. **Villanueva:** A Spanish surname meaning "new town", referring to a place with a new town.
48. **Zapata:** A Spanish surname meaning "shoemaker", derived from the word "zapato", meaning "shoe".
49. **Acosta:** A Spanish surname meaning "from Acosta", a town in Spain.
50. **Aguirre:** A Spanish surname meaning "eagle", derived from the word "aguila", meaning "eagle".
51. **Alvarado:** A Spanish surname meaning "from Alvarado", a town in Spain.
52. **Angulo:** A Spanish surname meaning "angle", referring to a place with a sharp angle.
53. **Arana:** A Spanish surname meaning "spider", derived from the word "arana", meaning "spider".
54. **Arango:** A Spanish surname meaning "from Arango", a town in Spain.
55. **Armas:** A Spanish surname meaning "weapons", derived from the word "arma", meaning "weapon".
56. **Ayala:** A Spanish surname meaning "from Ayala", a town in Spain.
57. **Barrios:** A Spanish surname meaning "neighborhoods", referring to a place with many neighborhoods.
58. **Bejarano:** A Spanish surname meaning "from Bejarano", a town in Spain.
59. **Beltran:** A Spanish surname meaning "brave wolf", derived from the words "bravo" and "lobo".
60. **Bustamante:** A Spanish surname meaning "from Bustamante", a town in Spain.
61. **Camacho:** A Spanish surname meaning "from Camacho", a town in Spain.
62. **Campos:** A Spanish surname meaning "fields", referring to a place with many fields.
63. **Canales:** A Spanish surname meaning "channels", referring to a place with many channels.
64. **Carranza:** A Spanish surname meaning "from Carranza", a town in Spain.
65. **Cervantes:** A Spanish surname meaning "from Cervantes", a town in Spain.
66. **Conde:** A Spanish surname meaning "count", derived from the word "conde", meaning "count".
67. **Cortez:** A Spanish surname meaning "short", derived from the word "corto", meaning "short".
68. **Crespo:** A Spanish surname meaning "curly", derived from the word "crespo", meaning "curly".
69. **Delgado:** A Spanish surname meaning "thin", derived from the word "delgado", meaning "thin".
70. **Dominguez:** A Spanish surname meaning "son of Domingo", a popular given name meaning "belonging to God".
71. **Escobar:** A Spanish surname meaning "from Escobar", a town in Spain.
72. **Espinoza:** A Spanish surname meaning "thorn", derived from the word "espina", meaning "thorn".
73. **Figueroa:** A Spanish surname meaning "fig tree", derived from the word "higuera", meaning "fig tree".
74. **Fuentes:** A Spanish surname meaning "fountains", referring to a place with many fountains.
75. **Gallego:** A Spanish surname meaning "from Galicia", a region in Spain.
76. **Galvez:** A Spanish surname meaning "from Galvez", a town in Spain.
77. **Gutierrez:** A Spanish surname meaning "son of Gutierrez", a popular given name meaning "powerful warrior".
78. **Ibarra:** A Spanish surname meaning "from Ibarra", a town in Spain.
79. **Inca:** An indigenous Peruvian surname, meaning "ruler" or "chief".
80. **Jimenez:** A Spanish surname meaning "son of Jaime", a popular given name meaning "supplanter".
81. **Leon:** A Spanish surname meaning "lion", derived from the word "leon", meaning "lion".
82. **Linares:** A Spanish surname meaning "from Linares", a town in Spain.
83. **Lopez:** A Spanish surname meaning "wolf", derived from the word "lobo", meaning "wolf".
84. **Manrique:** A Spanish surname meaning "from Manrique", a town in Spain.
85. **Marquez:** A Spanish surname meaning "from Marquez", a town in Spain.
86. **Mayorga:** A Spanish surname meaning "from Mayorga", a town in Spain.
87. **Medina:** A Spanish surname meaning "meadow", referring to a place with a meadow.
88. **Melendez:** A Spanish surname meaning "from Melendez", a town in Spain.
89. **Mendez:** A Spanish surname meaning "son of Mendez", a popular given name meaning "protector".
90. **Mercado:** A Spanish surname meaning "market", referring to a place with a market.
91. **Merino:** A Spanish surname meaning "from Merino", a town in Spain.
92. **Mesa:** A Spanish surname meaning "table", referring to a place with a table.
93. **Miguel:** A Spanish surname meaning "son of Miguel", a popular given name meaning "who is like God".
94. **Montero:** A Spanish surname meaning "hunter", derived from the word "monte", meaning "mountain".
95. **Morales:** A Spanish surname meaning "from Morales", a town in Spain.
96. **Muñoz:** A Spanish surname meaning "son of Muñoz", a popular given name meaning "monk".
97. **Nunez:** A Spanish surname meaning "son of Nunez", a popular given name meaning "strong".
98. **Ochoa:** A Spanish surname meaning "from Ochoa", a town in Spain.
99. **Osorio:** A Spanish surname meaning "from Osorio", a town in Spain.
100. **Parra:** A Spanish surname meaning "vine", derived from the word "parra", meaning "vine".
101. **Pastrana:** A Spanish surname meaning "from Pastrana", a town in Spain.
102. **Pena:** A Spanish surname meaning "rock", derived from the word "pena", meaning "rock".
103. **Pineda:** A Spanish surname meaning "from Pineda", a town in Spain.
104. **Pinzon:** A Spanish surname meaning "from Pinzon", a town in Spain.
105. **Pizarro:** A Spanish surname meaning "from Pizarro", a town in Spain.
106. **Portal:** A Spanish surname meaning "gate", derived from the word "portal", meaning "gate".
107. **Quevedo:** A Spanish surname meaning "from Quevedo", a town in Spain.
108. **Quintana:** A Spanish surname meaning "from Quintana", a town in Spain.
109. **Ramirez:** A Spanish surname meaning "son of Ramiro", a popular given name meaning "famous protector".
110. **Rangel:** A Spanish surname meaning "from Rangel", a town in Spain.
111. **Rivas:** A Spanish surname meaning "from Rivas", a town in Spain.
112. **Rivera:** A Spanish surname meaning "riverbank", derived from the word "rio", meaning "river".
113. **Rojas:** A Spanish surname meaning "red", derived from the word "rojo", meaning "red".
114. **Romero:** A Spanish surname meaning "pilgrim", derived from the word "romero", meaning "pilgrim".
115. **Rueda:** A Spanish surname meaning "wheel", derived from the word "rueda", meaning "wheel".
116. **Saavedra:** A Spanish surname meaning "from Saavedra", a town in Spain.
117. **Salgado:** A Spanish surname meaning "salty", derived from the word "sal", meaning "salt".
118. **Sandoval:** A Spanish surname meaning "from Sandoval", a town in Spain.
119. **Santamaria:** A Spanish surname meaning "from Santa Maria", a town in Spain.
120. **Santiago:** A Spanish surname meaning "from Santiago", a town in Spain.
121. **Solis:** A Spanish surname meaning "from Solis", a town in Spain.
122. **Suarez:** A Spanish surname meaning "son of Suarez", a popular given name meaning "from the oak tree".
123. **Tapia:** A Spanish surname meaning "from Tapia", a town in Spain.
124. **Toledo:** A Spanish surname meaning "from Toledo", a town in Spain.
125. **Toro:** A Spanish surname meaning "bull", derived from the word "toro", meaning "bull".
126. **Ulloa:** A Spanish surname meaning "from Ulloa", a town in Spain.
127. **Uribe:** A Spanish surname meaning "from Uribe", a town in Spain.
128. **Valdivia:** A Spanish surname meaning "from Valdivia", a town in Spain.
129. **Vallejo:** A Spanish surname meaning "valley", referring to a place with a valley.
130. **Varela:** A Spanish surname meaning "from Varela", a town in Spain.
131. **Vasquez:** A Spanish surname meaning "son of Vasco", a popular given name meaning "from Basque Country".
132. **Vega:** A Spanish surname meaning "meadow", referring to a place with a meadow.
133. **Velazquez:** A Spanish surname meaning "from Velasquez", a town in Spain.
134. **Velez:** A Spanish surname meaning "from Velez", a town in Spain.
135. **Vera:** A Spanish surname meaning "true", derived from the word "verdad", meaning "truth".
136. **Vergara:** A Spanish surname meaning "from Vergara", a town in Spain.
137. **Vidal:** A Spanish surname meaning "life", derived from the word "vida", meaning "life".
138. **Villa:** A Spanish surname meaning "town", referring to a place with a town.
139. **Villanueva:** A Spanish surname meaning "new town", referring to a place with a new town.
140. **Villegas:** A Spanish surname meaning "from Villegas", a town in Spain.
141. **Zapata:** A Spanish surname meaning "shoemaker", derived from the word "zapato", meaning "shoe".
142. **Zarate:** A Spanish surname meaning "from Zarate", a town in Spain.
143. **Zurita:** A Spanish surname meaning "from Zurita", a town in Spain.