Top 10 Spanish Last Names In Spain, Mexico, Cuba, Puerto Rico, And The Dominican Republic

In Spanish-speaking countries, people typically have not just one, but two Spanish last names!

Did you know that?

It’s a bit like getting a double scoop of family history – it could be a good or a bad thing, haha 🙂

But where does this Spanish naming tradition come from? In this blog post, we’ll explain everything you have to know about Spanish last names. But first, here are 15 Spanish last names that English native speakers pronounce wrong every time – this lesson is brought to you by Spring Spanish (a project I co-founded):

1. Spanish naming customs

The first Spanish surname usually comes from the dad, while the second one is from the mom. This two-surname system is a way of honoring both sides of the family.

When a child is born, they get their father’s first surname and their mother’s first surname. The tradition has been around for centuries.

spanish last names - nombre with different colors

In some countries, people are starting to mix things up. Some folks are choosing which surname goes first, regardless of whether it’s from mom or dad.

Here are some examples of the two-surname system:

NameFirst Surname (Father)Second Surname (Mother)Occupation
Gabriel García MárquezGarcíaMárquezFamous Colombian author
Penélope Cruz SánchezCruzSánchezSpanish actress
Pablo Ruiz PicassoRuizPicassoRenowned Spanish artist

We’re sure you’re familiar with these names, right?!

2. Origins of Spanish surnames

And where do these Spanish last names come from?

To have this question answered, we have to go through the Spanish culture and history. They can give us clues about a person’s ancestors, where they lived, what they did for a living, or even what they looked like…

Some of the most common origins are based on occupations, places, personal characteristics, and patronymics. Of course, we have examples for every section:

Popular Spanish last names based on occupations

Last NameMeaningExample
HerreroBlacksmithMaría Herrero (María the Blacksmith)
ZapateroShoemakerJosé Zapatero (José the Shoemaker)
PastorShepherdAna Pastor (Ana the Shepherd)
GuerreroWarriorCarlos Guerrero (Carlos the Warrior)
MolineroMillerLaura Molinero (Laura the Miller)
PescadorFishermanPablo Pescador (Pablo the Fisherman)
LabradorFarmerRosa Labrador (Rosa the Farmer)

Popular Spanish surnames based on places

Last NameMeaningExample
ToledoFrom the city of ToledoCarlos Toledo (Carlos from Toledo)
RiveraFrom the riverbankElena Rivera (Elena from the river)
NavarroFrom Navarre regionJuan Navarro (Juan from Navarre)
ValenciaFrom the city of ValenciaMarta Valencia (Marta from Valencia)
SerranoFrom the mountainsDiego Serrano (Diego from the mountains)
CastilloFrom the castleLucía Castillo (Lucía from the castle)
IglesiasFrom the churchesJavier Iglesias (Javier from the churches)

The significance of personal characteristics for Spanish last names

Last NameMeaningExample
MorenoDark-haired or dark-skinnedLuis Moreno (Dark-haired Luis)
DelgadoThinSofia Delgado (Thin Sofia)
AlegreCheerfulPedro Alegre (Cheerful Pedro)
BlancoWhite or fair-skinnedCarmen Blanco (Fair-skinned Carmen)
RubioBlondeAntonio Rubio (Blonde Antonio)
GordilloChubbyIsabel Gordillo (Chubby Isabel)
ValienteBraveMiguel Valiente (Brave Miguel)

Patronymics in Spanish culture

Last NameMeaningExample
RodríguezSon of RodrigoCarmen Rodríguez
MartínezSon of MartínDiego Martínez
LópezSon of LopeIsabel López
FernándezSon of FernandoAlberto Fernández
GonzálezSon of GonzaloSofía González
SánchezSon of SanchoJavier Sánchez
PérezSon of PedroElena Pérez

3. The most common Spanish last names in Spanish-speaking countries

And now, it’s time to explore the most common Spanish last names for every Spanish-speaking country!

What are the most common Spanish last names for Spain? And for Mexico? Time to find out. All of these stats are based on the latest findings that you can search for on Wikipedia for Spanish surnames.

The plus side is: we made pretty graphs and images:

Top 10 most common Spanish last names in Spain

The most common Spanish last names in Spain are:

  1. García
  2. Fernández
  3. González
  4. Rodríguez
  5. López

The full list is here:

most popular spanish last names in spain

Top 10 most common Spanish last names in Mexico

The most common Spanish last names in Mexico:

  1. Hernández
  2. García
  3. Martinez
  4. González
  5. López

The full list:

most popular spanish last names in mexico

Top 10 most common Spanish last names in Cuba

The most common Spanish last names in Cuba:

  1. Rodríguez
  2. Pérez
  3. González
  4. Hernández
  5. García

The full list with a bar chart:

most popular spanish last names in cuba

Top 10 most common Spanish last names in Puerto Rico

The most common Spanish last names in Puerto Rico:

  1. Sanchez
  2. Rivera
  3. Diaz
  4. Rodriguez
  5. Narvaez

A bit different than other Spanish-speaking countries, here’s the top 10 list:

most popular spanish last names in puerto rico

Top 10 most common Spanish last names in the Dominican Republic

And the most common Spanish last names in the Dominican Republic:

  1. Rodríguez
  2. Pérez
  3. Martinez
  4. García
  5. Reyes

The full list is available here:

most popular spanish last names in dominican republic

4. The latest trends for Spanish naming customs

Without a doubt, Spanish last names are influenced by modern trends and technology. Traditional Spanish naming customs are still respected, but we’re seeing some interesting shifts.

Social media and the internet have a big role in how people view and use their last names. Some parents are choosing unique or less common surnames for their kids that stand out online or are a bit easier to pronounce globally. Influencers also put a spotlight on certain certain surnames: if an influencer with a particular last name becomes popular, we can see a little bump in naming customs.

Strange, right?!

Globalization is having its impact. More and more Spanish speakers live and work internationally, some are adapting their names to fit better in different cultures.

5. Learn the meanings of Spanish last names naturally with Conversation Based Chunking

First names, last names, two surnames… It’s easy to get lost in the long list of Hispanic and Latin naming traditions. But don’t worry!

With Conversation Based Chunking, you can learn without confusion. This approach is about learning with chunks naturally – instead of remembering grammar rules and vocabulary lists, you focus on what native speakers say: different variations of Spanish phrases, and then you incorporate those phrases automatically into your own Spanish sentences.

You can avoid confusion if you learn with this method – to help you get started, we can send you a Spanish Chunking Starter Pack right now! In it, you’ll find publicly available resources to learn Spanish, learn the usage of chunks, and you can always refer to Spanish examples, too.

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