Hispanic Last Names
A Hispanic last name is usually a small history lesson. The -ez ending of López or Fernández means “son of,” names like Mendoza and Echeverría come from Basque villages, Medina traces back to Arabic, and surnames such as Quispe and Mamani carry Quechua and Aymara roots into modern Peru and Bolivia.
Below are 95+ Hispanic surnames grouped by type, each with its meaning and where it’s most common. Traditionally, people in Spanish-speaking countries use two surnames — the father’s first surname and then the mother’s — so you’ll often see pairs like García Márquez. For first names, see our Hispanic boy names and Hispanic girl names, or return to the Hispanic names hub.
Most common Hispanic last names in the US
According to US Census data, García, Rodríguez, Martínez and Hernández are the most common Hispanic surnames in the country, and several now rank among the top 20 American surnames overall. Compare them with our list of the most common last names.
| Surname | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| García | Disputed; possibly Basque “young” or “bear” | Most common Hispanic surname in the US |
| Rodríguez | “Son of Rodrigo” (famous ruler) | Especially common in Puerto Rico and Cuba |
| Martínez | “Son of Martín” | Found across all Spanish-speaking countries |
| Hernández | “Son of Hernando” (Fernando) | Very common in Mexico |
| López | “Son of Lope” (wolf) | From Latin <em>lupus</em> |
| González | “Son of Gonzalo” | Common in Spain and Mexico |
| Pérez | “Son of Pedro” (rock) | Widespread |
| Sánchez | “Son of Sancho” (sanctified) | Widespread |
| Ramírez | “Son of Ramiro” | Common in Mexico and Central America |
| Torres | “Towers” | Someone living near a tower |
| Flores | “Flowers” | Or from the given name Floro |
| Rivera | “Riverbank” | Top surname in Puerto Rico |
| Gómez | “Son of Gome” | Common in Colombia |
| Díaz | “Son of Diego” | Widespread |
| Reyes | “Kings” | Refers to the Three Kings (Epiphany) |
| Morales | “Blackberry bushes” | Place-based |
| Ortiz | “Son of Orti” (Fortún) | Northern Spanish roots |
| Chávez | From the town of Chaves, “keys” | Galician-Portuguese origin |
| Vargas | “Slope, hut” | From Cantabria in northern Spain |
Patronymic surnames ending in -ez
These surnames started as “son of” labels in medieval Castile. Knowing the father’s name hidden inside makes them easy to decode.
| Surname | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Fernández | “Son of Fernando” | Top-five surname in Spain |
| Gutiérrez | “Son of Gutierre” (Walter) | Germanic root |
| Álvarez | “Son of Álvaro” | Common in Spain and Cuba |
| Jiménez | “Son of Jimeno” (Simeon) | Also spelled Giménez, Ximénez |
| Domínguez | “Son of Domingo” (Sunday, “of the Lord”) | Widespread |
| Vásquez | “Son of Vasco” | Also Vázquez; Vasco may mean “Basque” |
| Méndez | “Son of Mendo” (Menendo) | Galician roots |
| Núñez | “Son of Nuño” | Medieval Castilian |
| Suárez | “Son of Suero” | Northern Spain |
| Benítez | “Son of Benito” (blessed) | Common in Paraguay |
| Enríquez | “Son of Enrique” (home ruler) | Once a noble lineage |
| Velázquez | “Son of Velasco”; Basque <em>bela</em>, “crow” | Made famous by the painter Diego Velázquez |
| Márquez | “Son of Marcos” | Famous via Gabriel García Márquez |
| Ibáñez | “Son of Ibán” (John) | Basque/Aragonese |
| Ruiz | “Son of Ruy” (Rodrigo) | Short form of Rodríguez |
| Muñoz | “Son of Muño” | Medieval Castilian |
| Ordóñez | “Son of Ordoño” | Asturian kings’ name |
| Sanz | “Son of Sancho” | Also Sáenz, Sáez |
Place and landscape surnames
Many Hispanic families were named after the village, castle or landscape they came from. If you like these, our Spanish last names page has more from Spain itself.
| Surname | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Castillo | “Castle” | Lived near a castle |
| Vega | “Fertile plain, meadow” | Found everywhere |
| Molina | “Mill” | Or from the town of Molina de Aragón |
| Mendoza | Basque, “cold mountain” | From Mendoza in Álava |
| Navarro | “From Navarre” | Regional name |
| Aguilar | “Place of eagles” | Common place name |
| Medina | Arabic, “city” | A legacy of Moorish Spain |
| Castro | “Fort,” from Latin <em>castrum</em> | Galicia and beyond |
| Serrano | “From the mountains” | Highlanders |
| Valle | “Valley” | Also Del Valle |
| Salazar | Basque, “old hall” or “old house” | From Salazar in Burgos |
| Ríos | “Rivers” | Lived by water |
| Campos | “Fields” | Rural origin |
| Soto | “Grove, thicket” | Common in Galicia and Asturias |
| Fuentes | “Springs, fountains” | Lived near a spring |
| Montoya | From Montoia, a village in Álava | Basque region |
| Rojas | From Rojas in Burgos; “red” | Red soil or buildings |
| Guzmán | From Guzmán in Burgos; Germanic “good man” | Old noble family |
Occupation and nickname surnames
These began as descriptions of a person’s job, looks or character — the Spanish equivalents of Smith, Brown or Young.
| Surname | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Herrera | “Forge, smithy” | Blacksmith’s family |
| Guerrero | “Warrior” | A soldier’s nickname |
| Delgado | “Thin, slender” | Physical nickname |
| Moreno | “Dark-haired, tanned” | Physical nickname |
| Rubio | “Blond, fair” | Physical nickname |
| Blanco | “White, fair” | Fair hair or skin |
| Calvo | “Bald” | Physical nickname |
| Romero | “Pilgrim to Rome”; also “rosemary” | Medieval pilgrims |
| Pastor | “Shepherd” | Occupation |
| Caballero | “Knight, horseman” | Social rank |
| Crespo | “Curly-haired” | Physical nickname |
| Bravo | “Brave, fierce” | Character nickname |
| Leal | “Loyal” | Character nickname |
| Rico | “Rich, powerful” | Status nickname |
| Cortés | “Courteous” | Famous through Hernán Cortés |
Religious surnames
Catholic devotion shaped many Hispanic surnames, often adopted at baptism or by converts in the late Middle Ages.
| Surname | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Cruz | “Cross” | Also De la Cruz |
| Santos | “Saints” | All Saints’ Day |
| Iglesias | “Churches” | Lived near a church |
| Ramos | “Branches” | Palm Sunday (Domingo de Ramos) |
| Pascual | “Of Easter” | Born around Easter |
| Bautista | “Baptist” | Saint John the Baptist |
| Santiago | “Saint James” | Spain’s patron saint |
| Rosario | “Rosary” | Especially Puerto Rico |
| Trinidad | “Trinity” | The Holy Trinity |
| Paz | “Peace” | Our Lady of Peace |
| Ángeles | “Angels” | Our Lady of the Angels |
Basque, Catalan and Galician surnames
Spain’s regional languages produced some of the most distinctive Hispanic surnames. Basque names are easy to spot by their -etxe/-eche (“house”) and -rre endings.
| Surname | Meaning | Language |
|---|---|---|
| Echeverría | “New house” | Basque |
| Aguirre | “Open, prominent place” | Basque |
| Urrutia | “Far away” | Basque |
| Goicoechea | “Upper house” | Basque |
| Zubizarreta | “Old bridge” | Basque |
| Iturbide | “Road to the fountain” | Basque |
| Ibarra | “Meadow, river valley” | Basque |
| Arrieta | “Stony place” | Basque |
| Ferrer | “Blacksmith” | Catalan |
| Puig | “Hill” | Catalan |
| Pujol | “Little hill” | Catalan |
| Otero | “Hillock” | Galician/Castilian |
Indigenous surnames in Latin America
Across the Andes and southern Mexico, millions of people carry surnames from Quechua, Aymara and Maya. Quispe and Mamani are among the most common surnames in Peru and Bolivia.
| Surname | Meaning | Language / region |
|---|---|---|
| Quispe | Commonly “free, liberated” | Quechua; Peru and Bolivia |
| Mamani | “Falcon” | Aymara; Bolivia and Peru |
| Huamán | “Falcon, hawk” | Quechua; Peru |
| Condori | “Condor” | Aymara; Bolivia |
| Pech | “Tick” (a clan name) | Yucatec Maya; Mexico |
Understanding Hispanic last names
- Two surnames are normal. In Gabriel García Márquez, García is his father’s surname and Márquez his mother’s. He is properly “García,” not “Márquez,” when shortened.
- Married women don’t usually change surnames. A woman may informally add “de” plus her husband’s surname, but legally she keeps her own two.
- Accents matter. Many US records drop them (Rodriguez, Gonzalez), but the accent shows where the stress falls: ro-DREE-gehs, gohn-SAH-lehs.
- Spelling varies by country. Vásquez and Vázquez, Giménez and Jiménez are the same surname; the s/z difference often reflects local pronunciation or a clerk’s choice.
- Researching your family? Parish baptism records are often the best source in Latin America. Our Mexican last names, Puerto Rican last names and Cuban last names pages cover country-specific surnames.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most common Hispanic last name?
García is the most common Hispanic surname in the United States, followed by Rodríguez, Martínez and Hernández (US Census data).
What does -ez mean at the end of a Spanish last name?
It means “son of.” González is “son of Gonzalo,” Martínez “son of Martín” and Pérez “son of Pedro.”
Why do Hispanic people have two last names?
Spanish naming custom gives each child two surnames: the father’s first surname followed by the mother’s first surname. Many Hispanic Americans shorten this to one or hyphenate the two.
Are Hispanic and Spanish last names the same?
Most Hispanic surnames come from Spain, but Latin America added indigenous surnames (Quispe, Mamani, Pech) and names from immigration. “Hispanic” covers all Spanish-speaking countries.
What are some rare Hispanic last names?
Zubizarreta, Goicoechea, Iturbide, Urrutia and Pujol are all authentic but relatively uncommon regional surnames.