Cuban Last Names
Almost every Cuban surname can be traced to a boat. Most arrived from Spain — from Galicia, Asturias, Andalusia and, above all, the Canary Islands — while others came with Catalan merchants, Basque sailors, Irish officers in Spanish service and Chinese laborers in the 19th century. This list covers 95 Cuban last names with their meanings and the regions they came from.
Cubans traditionally use two surnames: the father’s first surname, then the mother’s. So Celia Cruz was born Úrsula Hilaria Celia de la Caridad Cruz Alfonso. If you’re researching family roots, our Spanish last names and Hispanic last names go deeper, and the main Cuban names guide covers first names too.
Most common Cuban last names
Most of Cuba’s top surnames are Spanish patronymics: the ending -ez means “son of,” so Rodríguez is “son of Rodrigo.” These are also among the most common last names across Latin America.
| Surname | Meaning | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Rodríguez | Son of Rodrigo, “famous ruler” | Patronymic |
| González | Son of Gonzalo, “battle” | Patronymic |
| Hernández | Son of Hernando (Fernando), “brave journey” | Patronymic |
| García | Uncertain; possibly Basque “young” or “bear” | Possibly Basque |
| Pérez | Son of Pedro, “rock” | Patronymic |
| Fernández | Son of Fernando | Patronymic |
| López | Son of Lope, “wolf” | Patronymic |
| Díaz | Son of Diego | Patronymic |
| Martínez | Son of Martín, “of Mars” | Patronymic |
| Sánchez | Son of Sancho, “holy” | Patronymic |
| Álvarez | Son of Álvaro, possibly “guardian” | Patronymic |
| Gómez | Son of Gome, “man” | Patronymic |
| Ramírez | Son of Ramiro, “famous counsel” | Patronymic |
| Suárez | Son of Suero | Patronymic |
| Gutiérrez | Son of Gutierre (Walter) | Patronymic |
| Jiménez | Son of Jimeno | Patronymic |
| Domínguez | Son of Domingo, “of the Lord” | Patronymic |
| Vázquez | Son of Vasco, “the Basque” | Patronymic |
| Márquez | Son of Marcos | Patronymic |
| Ruiz | Son of Ruy (short for Rodrigo) | Patronymic |
Cuban surnames from places and nature
Many other Spanish surnames describe where a family lived — a tower, a meadow, a mill.
| Surname | Meaning | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Torres | Towers | Very widespread |
| Ramos | Branches; Palm Sunday | Religious or nature origin |
| Romero | Pilgrim to Rome; also rosemary | Double meaning |
| Castillo | Castle | Place name |
| Navarro | From Navarre | Regional name |
| Reyes | Kings; the Three Kings | Religious |
| Rojas | Red (land) | Place name |
| Soto | Grove, thicket | Place name |
| Molina | Mill | Place name |
| Fuentes | Springs, fountains | Place name |
| Montero | Huntsman | Occupational |
| Vega | Meadow, fertile plain | Place name |
| Serrano | From the mountains | Place name |
Galician and Asturian surnames
Galicians arrived in such numbers that Cubans still call any Spaniard a gallego.
| Surname | Meaning | Region |
|---|---|---|
| Castro | Fortified settlement (Latin castrum) | Galicia |
| Varela | From a place name, related to vara, “rod” | Galicia |
| Otero | Hill, hillock | Galicia and León |
| Rey | King | Galicia |
| Barreiro | Clay pit | Galicia |
| Pazos | Manor houses | Galicia |
| Rivera | Riverbank | Galicia (Ribeira) |
| Figueroa | Place of fig trees | Galicia |
| Méndez | Son of Mendo | Galicia and Portugal |
| Loureiro | Laurel tree | Galicia |
| Carballo | Oak tree | Galicia |
| Souto | Grove | Galicia |
| Iglesias | Churches | Asturias and Galicia |
| Menéndez | Son of Menendo | Asturias |
Canary Island and Andalusian surnames
Canary Islanders (isleños) settled Cuba’s tobacco country in huge numbers, which is why Canarian surnames are so common in Pinar del Río and Havana.
| Surname | Meaning | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Cabrera | Place where goats graze | Common in the Canaries |
| Morales | Mulberry trees | Place name |
| Medina | City (from Arabic) | Andalusian |
| Delgado | Thin | Descriptive nickname |
| Herrera | Ironworks, forge | Occupational place name |
| Guerra | War | Nickname surname |
| Padrón | From the town of Padrón | Very Canarian |
| Betancourt | From Jean de Béthencourt, Norman conqueror of the Canaries | Norman French |
| Perdomo | Possibly from French prud’homme, “wise man” | Canarian |
| Acosta | Coast | Portuguese-Canarian |
| Machado | Hatchet | Portuguese |
| Quintana | Country estate | Place name |
| Toledo | The city of Toledo | Place name |
Basque and Catalan surnames in Cuba
Basque and Catalan families were prominent in Cuban commerce, sugar and shipping — the Bacardí rum dynasty came from Sitges in Catalonia.
| Surname | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Echevarría | New house (etxe berri) | Basque |
| Aguirre | Prominent, exposed place | Basque |
| Iturralde | Near the fountain | Basque |
| Arteaga | Place of holm oaks | Basque |
| Urrutia | Distant place | Basque |
| Goicoechea | Upper house | Basque |
| Mendoza | Cold mountain | Basque |
| Ybarra | Valley | Basque |
| Zubizarreta | Old bridge | Basque |
| Ferrer | Blacksmith | Catalan |
| Puig | Hill | Catalan |
| Roig | Red | Catalan |
| Vidal | Life | Catalan |
| Font | Spring, fountain | Catalan |
| Bacardí | Family name of the rum founder Facundo Bacardí Massó | Catalan |
| Mestre | Master | Catalan |
Surnames of famous Cubans
These surnames are woven into Cuban history, literature and music — you’ll see them on streets, plazas and whole cities.
| Surname | Meaning | Famous Cuban |
|---|---|---|
| Valdés | Valley | Given to foundlings of Havana’s Casa de Beneficencia; pianist Chucho Valdés |
| Céspedes | Turf, grassy fields | Carlos Manuel de Céspedes, “Father of the Homeland” |
| Maceo | Italian-derived; meaning uncertain | General Antonio Maceo |
| Martí | Catalan form of Martín | José Martí, national hero |
| Agramonte | From a place name in Navarre | Ignacio Agramonte |
| Cienfuegos | A hundred fires | Also a Cuban city |
| Estrada | Road | Tomás Estrada Palma |
| Guillén | From Guillermo, “resolute protector” | Poet Nicolás Guillén |
| Grajales | Place of rooks | Mariana Grajales |
| Moncada | From a Catalan place name | General Guillermo Moncada |
| Lecuona | From a Basque place name | Composer Ernesto Lecuona |
| Cruz | Cross | Singer Celia Cruz |
| Alonso | From Alfonso, “noble and ready” | Ballerina Alicia Alonso |
| Portuondo | From a Basque place name | Singer Omara Portuondo |
Chinese-Cuban and Irish-Cuban surnames
More than 100,000 Chinese laborers came to Cuba in the 1800s, and Irish officers served Spain in Havana — both left surnames behind. Compare with our Chinese last names and Irish last names.
| Surname | Meaning | Roots |
|---|---|---|
| Chang | Cantonese form of Zhang, linked to “bowmaker” | Chinese-Cuban |
| Lam | Cantonese form of Lin, “forest” | Chinese-Cuban; painter Wifredo Lam |
| Wong | Cantonese form of Huang, “yellow” | Chinese-Cuban |
| O’Farrill | From Ó Fearghail, “man of valor” | Irish-Cuban; composer Chico O’Farrill |
| O’Reilly | From Ó Raghallaigh | Irish-Cuban; a famous Havana street |
| Kindelán | From an Irish surname | Irish-Cuban |
Tips for researching a Cuban last name
- Record both surnames. Your ancestor’s second surname is the mother’s family name — essential for tracing the maternal line in Cuban records.
- Watch for Valdés. In the 18th and 19th centuries, many abandoned children in Havana were given the surname Valdés, so a Valdés ancestor may hide a different birth family.
- Look for the “y.” Older documents join the two surnames with y (“Martí y Pérez”); don’t mistake it for part of the name.
- Check Spanish regional roots. A Galician or Canarian surname can point you to the right Spanish parish archive. Our Portuguese last names help with Galician lookalikes.
- Expect spelling drift in the US. Accents often vanish (Pérez → Perez) and double names get hyphenated on American documents.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most common last name in Cuba?
Rodríguez, González, Hernández, García and Pérez are consistently among the most common Cuban surnames, all of Spanish origin.
Why do Cubans have two last names?
Following Spanish custom, a Cuban child takes the father’s first surname followed by the mother’s first surname, preserving both family lines.
Is Valdés a Cuban name?
Valdés is Spanish in origin (“valley”), but it has a special Cuban history: foundlings raised at Havana’s Casa de Beneficencia were given the surname in honor of its founder, Bishop Jerónimo Valdés.
Are there Chinese last names in Cuba?
Yes. Tens of thousands of Chinese contract workers arrived in the 19th century, and surnames like Chang, Lam and Wong remain part of Cuban families — painter Wifredo Lam had a Chinese father.
What does -ez mean in Cuban last names?
The ending -ez (or -es) means “son of.” Rodríguez is “son of Rodrigo,” Martínez “son of Martín,” and Fernández “son of Fernando.”